Be Quiet
by LastDayOfMagic
Summary: Reposted fic from the Fall of 2010. AU of Season 1 after Damon realizes Katherine isn't in the tomb.
1. Chapter 1

Cool leather, under her cheek.

Her hair lightly brushing against her forehead in a breeze.

This is what roused her out of her slumber.

Elena opened her eyes slowly, assuming she dozed off in the Salvatores' living room, with Stefan beside her. But the grogginess began to lift when she couldn't focus on her surroundings. She made out a dim analog radio tuner... a reflection on glass, a window. The nighttime forest landscape blurring by. The low notes of an eighties rock song playing in the background.

_"...I used to love her, but I had to kill her..."_

She was in a car, one that was vaguely familiar. She quietly rolled her head to the side, to the driver's seat.

Damon.

His jaw visibly tensed and unclenched, over and over, as he stared straight ahead, eyes narrowed. His window was down and one arm rested there, his other hand tightly guiding the steering wheel. He reached down to take a swig of scotch from the bottle stashed between them.

"Hello, Elena."

His voice was carefully even and stretched taut, ready to snap at any moment. His eyes never left the winding road.

"Where are you taking me? Where's Stefan?"

"Don't worry about my useless brother." He turned to her finally and her blood ran cold. His expression - his whole demeanor - was frightening. He looked... unhinged. She swallowed hard as he surveyed her appearance slowly. "And we are going farrrr away."

"Damon, please. Just turn around. Bring me home."

He didn't answer her and instead turned his attention back to the road. She moved slowly, eyeing the door. When she reached down for the seatbelt, his hand shot over and gripped her wrists together. She cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise.

"Don't even think about it." He stared her down as he parked on the shoulder. He never let go of her but managed to grab some cord from the backseat, making fast work of binding her hands together.

"Why don't you just compel me?" she asked with a grimace. The ties weren't too tight but she couldn't break free either. He pulled the Mustang back onto the road with a lead foot. She could hear the gravel flying as the tires spun out.

"Wait until you see what I have planned."

Her stomach lurched at the tone of his voice. That was when she noticed her attire. A delicate long ruffled linen skirt, paired with a brocade corset top, both showing wear and aged ivory in color.

_Impossible,_ she thought. But fear snaked its way through her veins. Damon was gazing at her now, her pounding heart drawing his attention.

"It fits you perfectly," he murmured, a depraved smile spreading over his features. "I saved them. A part of her to keep with me until I could rescue her."

_But she didn't need to be rescued_.

The implied words weighed heavily inside the car, and her skin crawled at the nameless confirmation of who these clothes originally belonged to. It had only been a handful of days since his century and a half mission came crashing down around him. Stunned and reeling, Damon blocked himself off from everyone. He withdrew from Elena's tentative offer of a shoulder to cry on. Stefan grew more worried as Damon became more despondent. He eventually forbade her from coming over, worried for her safety in his brother's presence. But Damon's twisted state of turmoil only festered in seclusion, fueled by an alcohol and blood binge.

His eyes were back on the road, his profile again in her view. The continued clenching and untensing jaw hypnotized her. His internal struggle was clearly apparent in the muscles of his face. It gave her a sliver of hope that she could bring him round to sanity again, but she knew she needed to tread carefully. He was obviously more volatile than usual in carrying out this unknown plan.

Damon held the bottle of scotch toward her with a glance but she declined and he set it back onto the seat. He began to sing the lyrics softly - _Guns N' Roses, _she remembered - and his stare burned into her.

Elena turned her head back to the window and feigned sleep, all while trying to calm her frantic mind. But she kept an eye outside for any clues, anything to help her escape once they her dismay, it appeared he was driving them further away from civilization, into the wilderness. Eventually the mindless repetition of passing trees won out and lulled her into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight burned against her eyelids. As she covered them, last night came rushing back and Elena wondered if it was just a nightmare. But when she rolled to her side, her eyes met Damon's. She sat up quickly but his fast reflexes and firm hold on her bare arm forced her to lie back down next to him.

"Don't fight me, Elena." He smiled but his voice was cold. "Otherwise I'll have to restrain you again. And trust me, we don't want that."

Hot tears threatened to spill over but she willed them back. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice husky with barely contained despair.

"New England." Damon had his head propped up on one arm, and he stroked her cheek with the other. She closed her eyes, bile rising in her throat. "We drove all night to get here. You slept the whole way, thanks to a little medication. Minus that brief irritating interlude when you thought you were going to escape."

Her eyes flew open. "You _drugged_ me? Why don't I remember?"

"Because I compelled you to forget it."

"But you wouldn't compel me last night?"

He smirked. "No. It was only because I had to get you away somehow."

She swallowed hard, unnerved by the way his eyes stayed on her. She was still in the antique garb, and she had to wonder if he was really seeing her. "I'm sorry she wasn't there, Damon. Ihate that you're heartbroken, but I don't see what this is going to accomplish. I'm not Katherine. And I'm in love with Stefan."

His gaze hardened briefly. "You don't know just how different it would have been if I'd gotten to you first," he murmured. "He's distracted you. Little Stefan, always taking what was meant to be mine."

"Let me go," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek toward the white sheets.

He caught it with his thumb and shook his head. "I can't do that. You'll have to come around if you want to return to Mystic Falls, Elena. You'll have to cooperate."

His arm slid around her waist and he pulled her tight against him. She stiffened as he buried his face in her hair, and she trembled when his lips pressed against her neck.

"Besides," he breathed into her ear, "we're so isolated, no one can hear you scream."

She struggled against him but he was far too strong for her to make any headway. "Relax," he whispered, his fingers running over her hair, "just... relax."

She willed her racing pulse to slow and concentrated on her own breathing. As out of his mind as he might have been, he was right that pissing him off would get her nowhere. She gave a soft nod, her eyes closing.

"I need your blood, Elena. Just a little bit. I won't drain you." He kissed her neck again and she fought her stomach back down to its proper anatomical position.

A shaky sob escaped her lips. She always thought her first time of bloodsharing would be with Stefan. How was she ever going to explain this? How was she going to keep him from killing Damon upon their return? "We can't tell Stefan," she whispered.

She felt his smirk upon her skin before his fangs broke she surface. She gasped at the initial pain and resisted the overwhelming urge to hyperventilate. Just a little bit, he's only taking a little, she repeated in her mind. It'll be over soon. She kept her eyes clenched shut and she could sense his annoyance.

"Elena."

She shook her head. She felt his hand turn her head to face him..

"Look at me."

She opened her eyes, seeing the veins around his, the ruddy stain upon his lips. If she hadn't seen Stefan's vampire face before, she would have been running for her life. But now there was something strangely beautiful about seeing his - and his brother's - undead nature.

"This can be enjoyable, you know."

"What, being forced to be your blood donor? You kidnapped me and brought me here for God only knows what and I'm supposed to _enjoy_ it? Get over yourself, Damon. Just finish it, and leave me alone."

He frowned as she turned away again, closing her eyes. His tongue moved over the wounds, and she thought about Stefan as he continued to take her blood. His green eyes, his wavy hair, his love for her. Her daydreams became hazy and she felt Damon's wrist at her mouth. She tried to push it away but he was too strong.

"Elena, don't be stubborn. Drink."

She gagged a bit as the first drops of blood fell upon her tongue. But she soon grew accustomed to the taste and began to suck it down.

"Good girl," he murmured into her hair, his other hand lazily tracing along her waist. She relaxed and the throbbing at her neck dissipated. She was asleep again when he finally pulled his wrist away.

oOo

It was late afternoon when she woke, alone in the bed. She could tell by the way the orange-tinged sunlight streamed over her through the wooden blinds and ivory muslin draperies. She assumed the residual effects of the sleeping pills had finally worn off - there was no confusion as to her current whereabouts.

Elena stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to rise yet. She didn't want him to know she was awake - she was still furious at her current captive state. There was a shawl around her shoulders, and she sighed. Deranged yet caring. What a combination. She didn't hate him, but she did fear what was going on in his mind. And how he would react if he caught her escaping - that while he cared, he could also kill her. Murder was always an acceptable solution in his book.

She counted the pine panels on the ceiling as she listened for any movement. Her eyes followed along the charmingly uneven edge where the cadet painted plaster met the wood. Colorful older paintings were framed upon the walls and provided a lovely contrast to the grey-blue - landscapes, portraits, 19th century pieces. Van Gogh. Gauguin. Those were the two artists she recognized, and it seemed fitting that Damon would have the work of the mad masters adorning his space rather than the frilly art of someone like Monet. It made her wonder about the structure she was in. She sat up to find Damon sitting in a mulberry velvet Queen Anne chair at the edge of the room. Watching her.

She placed a hand to her neck as she met his gaze. The wounds were healed, but she wasn't surprised. She had seen how Stefan's blood healed Bonnie after Damon tried to kill her. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them in an attempt to cover herself from him. "What are you doing?"

He closed the magazine on his lap, setting it onto a nearby steamer trunk. "Waiting for you to wake up."

"Why? What does this plan of yours entail now?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

He stood and held out his hand expectantly. She hesitated for a moment but ended up taking it, climbing off of the bed. As she stepped into the rest of the space, she saw that the 'bedroom' was really a space on a raised platform, with curtains pulled back to the sides to act as dividers. The house was actually one large room, save the bathroom, laid out mostly railroad style with the bedroom to the back, followed by the sitting area and finally the kitchen. There was a table and chairs off to the right side of the kitchen in a small alcove, and the whole space looked as though it was stuck in a time warp. It was all painted in the same cadet color that had a hint of a violet undertone in the dimming sunlight. Her shoes clicked on the wide plank floors as he led her over to a saturated olive Victorian medallion sofa flanked by two gold brocade armchairs.

"Go ahead and sit. I figured you may want to eat, no?"

She nodded and pulled the shawl tighter around her shoulders as she seated herself to the edge of the couch. There was a huge window over the sink and she could see a rocky cliff and the ocean in the distance. "Where are we in New England?"

"The Cape. Not too far from where the Pilgrims landed, actually." He gave her a wry smile over his shoulder as he pulled items from the refrigerator.

"And what made you think to bring me here?"

"This is my house. I've owned it for over a century." He glanced around at the architecture and furnishings. "It hasn't changed much, besides the addition of a few modern conveniences. Like indoor plumbing."

"I see that," she remarked under her breath, earning a pointed look from Damon. She straightened until he focused back on the food. She didn't intend the comment to be rude, but while the space was beautiful, she had to admit it was a little creepy. And it was only enhanced by the fact that she wore Katherine's outfit. She smoothed her skirt, inspecting the handiwork curiously. "Why did you dress me in her clothes?"

His shoulders tensed. He was quiet for a long moment, so long that she figured he was ignoring the question. But he spoke finally. "You are everything Katherine was supposed to be. And you'll see me as she did." He turned to stare at her with such intensity that she thought she would incinerate on the spot. "I'm sure you think I've lost my mind. But this-" he gestured around the interior - "...brings you closer to being mine."

"I'm not yours," she answered, raising her chin in defiance. "I belong with Stefan."

His jaw clenched as he struggled with his reaction. He began to laugh - not in humor, but irony. "Until he realizes you let me feed from you. You've been marked by me, Elena. And as much as he loves you - the jealousy will drive him mad, until it tears you both apart. He won't be able to live with it." Within seconds he was crouched low next to her, his finger running along her jaw. "But you'll come around before that."

Elena slapped his hand away. "I will never love you," she spat.

She quickly stormed out the door, covering large amounts of ground in her fury before stopping short of the cliff. She was surprised he didn't chase after her. She could feel his eyes burning into her from the kitchen, but she kept her back to him and focused on the sunset on the horizon instead.

A mild breeze brushed her face and softly ran over the tall grasses at her feet. She was relieved to be alone finally, out in the open space. She could see a lighthouse and a monument off in the distance. But no signs of modern society. He hadn't been exaggerating when he told her they were isolated. It wasn't hard to imagine, with the history of the land and her clothing, that it was a century and a half ago. To see how Katherine saw in the past. But Damon had been a different person then... lives taken and blood spilled had changed him greatly in a century and a half. Perhaps she could have fallen for him in 1864, but not now. Not when he had become a cold and murderous creature.

_A murderer who's cooking you dinner,_ she thought. She shook her head. No. It didn't matter how much he pretended to care, or how kind he pretended to be. The fact still remained that he had kidnapped her and dragged her here.

"Elena!"

She drew in a long breath before looking over her shoulder, straightening in resolve. Damon leaned against the doorway casually with his arms crossed.

"Don't you want to eat? Your food is getting cold."

She sighed as her stomach growled in betrayal and he smirked. She lifted her skirts to head back to the house with its salt-weathered shingles. Her expression never softened, however.

"A gentleman would have moved," she glared as he forced her to brush past him to get inside. Even if he thought he was fooling her, she wouldn't play along. But she knew he wouldn't give up. No, she would have to wait him out until she could escape or one of them died, whichever came first.

There was no way she would _ever_ fall in love with Damon Salvatore.


	3. Chapter 3

She watched Damon pull out the towels and soap for her. He set them on the stool near the clawfoot tub and gestured to the steaming bubbling bath he'd drawn for her.

"All yours."

"Thank you," Elena answered coolly before glancing around. "Did you happen to bring any of my clothes with you?"

He smirked and left the room without a word. She sighed. Yes, she was wearing a beautiful gown, but it was also old and uncomfortable and..._Katherine's_. She would surely lose her mind if she had to keep it on. She was already close enough being trapped here, and it hadn't even been a full day. Their earlier dinner came to mind, where she ate in silence. Damon sat across from her, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He'd asked her to get something from the refrigerator, and upon opening the door, she found it completely stocked with blood bags. Which infuriated her because she thought him close to starving when he fed from her earlier. But apparently that wasn't the case, and he had obviously intended for her to see his supply. She didn't dignify his insult with a response, only a glare - a glare that intensified at the way his lips curled up as he brought the edge of his glass to his mouth.

It was in that moment that she decided she could also play mind games if he wasn't going to let her go. It wasn't the normal standard to which she lived her life, but she also wasn't dealing with a normal person. She grabbed the opportunity and planned to be in the bath when he returned, with just enough left to the imagination to torment him with what he would never have. She smirked to herself as she unhooked the skirt, almost giddy with the thought of giving him a taste of his own medicine. His reaction would be priceless and maybe he would even leave her alone. But when she reached back to unlace the corset, she couldn't get it untied.

"Dammit," she groaned under her breath. She didn't want to go out there and ask him for help. If worse came to worse, she'd bathe in the damn dress. Or destroy the damned corset but cutting it off her body.

"Need help?"

She whirled around, clutching at the skirt so it would keep from falling down. "No," she blurted out, her cheeks burning.

"Yes, you do."

He set a long sleeveless silk turqouise gown over the chair in the corner. Another vintage piece. While it looked brand new, the style was that of the 1930s. She remembered her great grandmother wearing a similar one in old family photographs.

"You did that on purpose."

He chuckled, behind her with his cool fingertips on her skin. "They're tied tight for a reason, my dear. You forget I lived through the era. A lady wanted to present a certain silhouette. And she always had help undressing in the evening. Though it was usually her handmaids, not a gentleman."

"You're hardly a gentleman," she muttered.

His hands were on her shoulders as he turned her around to face him. She held the front of the loose corset to her as she met his gaze with an indignant head toss.

"You should really be nicer to the man you're spending your life with, Elena," he warned.

She shrugged out of his grip. "And you should really stop deluding yourself. I wouldn't spend my life with you if you were the last man on Earth. If you don't remember, you forced me to come here."

"I don't think you'll let me forget," he remarked, an amused smile playing upon his lips. "But I hardly think it's been torture."

"Just leave," she gritted out. "I'd like to bathe now."

They stared at each other, a battle of wills, before Damon finally relented and turned for the door. "You're welcome," he called as he closed it behind him.

She dropped the clothes to the floor in a huff. But her aggravation faded away as she stepped into the soothing water. Her muscles relaxed and there was a subtle scent of jasmine in the bath. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the water for a moment before she set to washing herself. It was a relief to cleanse the imprint of Katherine from her skin.

Elena emerged from the bath a half hour later feeling refreshed. Her towel-dried hair was wound into a loose bun and the long gown graced her frame. She glanced in the full length mirror, feeling elegant despite her bare face and casual hair. Her fingers played with her necklace anxiously, worrying over the way the bias-cut accented all her curves. For a simple gown, it didn't lack sensuality. She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. She could do this. She could ignore the way his eyes would burn over her skin, the way his breath would briefly catch when he looked at her. She could pretend that there was no attraction between them, that he didn't drink her in the way she wished Stefan would.

She could, and she would.

Her body straightened in resolve before she stepped into the living room. Damon's back faced her from the kitchen counter, and she seated herself on the sofa. The low notes of a slower tempo-ed song permeated the house and she closed her eyes, drawing her legs next to her, nodding her head along.

_...kiss and kill me sweetly, come and drive me home..._

_...drag the miles in me, I am yours alone..._

Elena was lost in it when he broke into her headspace.

"Wine?"

She regarded him from beneath heavy lashes and accepted the goblet he offered. She didn't miss how his eyes languidly appreciated her form, or how he subtly bit the inside of his lower lip, as if otherwise the sight of her was too much to bear. Not that he wasn't devastatingly handsome at the moment too, as much as she tried to ignore it. His cheeks had a pink tinge - wine affects vampires, she thought amusedly after a few sips. And his dark ultramarine shirt was unbuttoned lower than his usual style, by two or three. Enough to tantalize.

Their eyes were locked as they each started their second glass. Her head was pleasantly floating and she was finding it difficult to hold onto her contempt. So when Damon held out his hand in a silent request for a dance, she didn't decline. He placed his hands low on her hips as he pulled her close; she wrapped her arms around his neck as they began to move together. His face filled her vision, a faint half smile on his face. But it was tender, lusty, not the usual cocky smirk. Elena started thinking maybe this was treading too far into dangerous territory.

"Just a dance," she reminded him.

Damon's smile widened and caught her off guard. She was used to the sexy smirk that was part of his regular arsenal of flirtatious devices, but his true smile was disarmingly beautiful. She could see why he didn't show it that often, as he appeared vulnerably sexy, no facades up. It settled into the usual smirk quickly though, and she hated Katherine in that moment for stealing his honesty from him.

"It fits you like a glove."

"Katherine's?" she asked softly.

"I bought it with her in mind, yes." His voice moved into her hair, near her ear. "But I think it was really meant for you."

_...desire me so deeply, drain and kick me hard, whisper secrets for me..._

The music flooded Elena's body as her skin flushed hotly at his words. She didn't stop him when his lips trailed down her throat, nestled against the base of her neck. And she didn't stop himwhen they found their way to hers. Or when Damon's tongue teased hers, after he pulled her hair loose and wound his hands in it to pull her face closer while their hips collided achingly. Nothing else was in her mind beyond his hand grazing up her thigh, raising her skirt to twine her leg around him. Nothing beyond how she couldn't imagine living without experiencing this sort of passion, and how addictive it was.

Damon hoisted her up so her legs were wrapped around his torso. Her arms remained around his neck, so they stayed joined at the lips. Her eyes were closed in the moment but she could tell they were moving, approaching the bed. Elena felt the mattress beneath her and his weight above her as he moved against her and she moaned at the friction. He smirked against her mouth, nipping and sucking at her bottom lip. Her hands found their way beneath his shirt, gliding over his taut muscles and he groaned appreciatively.

"God, Elena, you have no idea what you do to me," he breathed. He shifted down so he was between her legs, his hands moving over her breasts above. But when he started to tug at her underwear, she came to her senses, clamping her legs shut.

"Elena," he said, running his finger against her center. It took all of her resolve to remain still, to not react, to not let him keep going. But the haze of lust and alcohol was clearing and it was green eyes, not blue, in her mind.

A wounded expression briefly passed over Damon's face when he realized she wasn't giving in, that she'd changed her mind. He quickly covered it with irritation.

"What's wrong?"

"We can't do this."

He rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Why not? You obviously wanted to just a few minutes ago. And you know I didn't force you into this-"

"You know why."

"You shouldn't worry about my brother. He makes no difference in the long run." He began to kiss her neck again and she closed her eyes.

"I love him."

"And you feel nothing for me? Don't lie, Elena."

Her pulse quickened under his lips and he lightly grazed her skin with his fangs, causing her to tremble. She couldn't answer. His actions consumed her mind. But she couldn't let herself forget Stefan. "Please just stop," she begged in a whisper.

His fingers traced over the chain of her necklace and for a wild moment she thought Damon was going to compel her to give into him. She stiffened beneath him, clenching her eyes shut to avoid his stare.

"You should know me better than that. Of everything, I would want this to be real," he hissed into her ear. "But you're only prolonging the inevitable. And you're taking the stand against me for someone you think you love. But you don't know Stefan at all."

She felt his weight shift off of her, off the bed, and she sat up to watch him storm outside, the house rattling from the force of the slamming door. Damon had finally left her alone, like she'd been praying he would. So why was there only dread in her stomach, instead of relief?


	4. Chapter 4

Initially, she waited for Damon to come back. She looked outside but couldn't see him anywhere. And he didn't answer when she called out to him. She hadn't heard his car leave - she assumed it was in the padlocked wooden garage. He still had to be nearby, but he was obviously ignoring her. And considering it was a pitch black night in unfamiliar territory, she didn't think it was safe to search beyond the perimeter of the house.

Instead, Elena occupied herself with cleaning up from their dinner and drinking. And after, she tried to read through some of the books on local history and folklore. But she couldn't concentrate - she was anxious for him to come back. He deserved an apology. She felt bad for letting things continue on once he began to kiss her when she wasn't looking to pursue anything with him.

Or at least that's what she told herself. She tried to ignore any evidence otherwise. Ignore that all she could accomplish tonight were mindless tasks, because all she could think about was the feel of his lips upon hers and his hands on her skin.

She shivered in recollection as she slid beneath the soft sheets and plush comforter. Knowing she was otherwise useless, she had decided to retreat to bed. A lantern glowed dimly on the nightstand, but she had drawn the curtains for privacy. She wished her diary was here so she could sort out her head and her feelings. She worried because she knew she'd let Stefan downwith her indiscretions. He deserved someone trustworthy, not a lookalike girl following the same path as his selfish ex. And Damon - oh, Damon.

He infuriated her by bringing her here unwillingly. But now that she was presented with the perfect opportunity to escape, she couldn't leave him here alone. She had to help him through this. He had to be devastated over Katherine still. There was no way he was actually interested in _her_ - he could only be using her to replace Katherine. And maybe to torture Stefan a little on the side. But otherwise, Elena couldn't see how this had anything to do with her. It was only about who she looked like. It _had_ to be.

The door handle turned and Elena closed her eyes. Her thoughts were too scattered to even attempt to sort through this with Damon tonight. She slowed her breathing, hoping that if she pretended long enough, true sleep would come. He sat down next to her, the bed shifting under his weight. It was silent for a few long moments, save her steady respirations. She didn't have to open her eyes to know he was staring at her, but she was relieved she didn't start blushing under his gaze.

Damon brushed away a strand of hair, tracing against her jaw. She felt his lips press against her cheek and his arm encircled her waist as he laid down beside her. "You'll decide to stop fighting me soon enough," he whispered ever so softly in her ear.

She resisted shivering as his breath tickled upon her skin. She was sure he heard her heart start racing, but he didn't call her on it. Instead his breathing settled into the slow steady rhythm of slumber, long before she finally fell asleep that night.

* * *

They were still in the same position when she woke the next morning, his arm draped over her and his hand resting clasped around hers. She was surprised. She was certain she'd been a restless sleeper during the turbulent dreams of last night. Wisps flooded her memory - facing blue against green as she stood opposite them in a seductive red gown, Stefan accusing her of falling in love with Damon, the brothers fighting... death.

Her stomach was in her throat as more details came back. But Damon's hand tightened on hers, grounding her in reality. His lapis ring caught her eye - the intricacies, the gold-flecked blue stone and the ornate 'D' in the center. Despite its old and antiquated style, it was still handsome in a gothic 'Sleepy Hollow' way. It reminded her of how she thought initially that Damon was anything but old-fashioned or antiquated. However, this 'jaunt' was showing her another side. He was traditional in the important ways - taking care of her, treating her like a lady, even his proclamations of love. There was an ardent honesty in his actions. And she knew if she gave in, if she admitted she should be with him, Damon would make her his world.

To be honest, the thought terrified her.

Elena wasn't used to being so intensely the center of someone's life. So intensely focused upon. Not that Stefan didn't love her, because he did, wholly. And not that she didn't before think theirrelationship was happy and content and passionate in its own way, because it was and she loved him.

But now - after just one day with Damon - she worried she would always feel empty with Stefan, without Damon. Because when they returned, she knew to stay with Stefan, she would have to deny his brother. Cut him out of her life completely. Refuse any sort of friendship or aquiantance with him, even if Stefan never found out what happened between them, even if he eventually came around and forgave Damon for taking her here. Elena knew it was far too dangerous forher to be around him because they'd already crossed too many lines. And she couldn't ignore it anymore - there was too much of an underlying attraction between them. One that would make it much too tempting to cross those forbidden lines again.

Damon's hand slid off of hers and rubbed her stomach lightly. He stretched against her with a groan before kissing her shoulder, intimately, like a lover. Enough to set her heart racing again.

"Stop worrying." There was an audible smirk in his low voice. "And stop pretending."

"I think you're the one pretending, Damon."

His fingers traced over her neck, pausing over his healed bite, and a chill ran through her. "I don't think so."

His teeth replaced his hand on her skin and he nipped lightly at the site. She shivered at the sensation of his tongue against her skin, lapping at the thin beads of blood.

"You don't even ask for permission now?" she asked curtly. But she didn't move away.

"That's hardly enough to feed." Damon sat up and she could see his veins fading, his eyes lightening. "More like a love bite. I didn't intend to draw blood, but you can't expect me to let it go to waste."

He raised his eyebrows at her reproachfully as he stood, pulling on his button-down shirt from last night and heading out to the kitchen. She watched him through the daylight translucency of the curtains. He snagged two bags of blood from the refrigerator and downed them quickly. Then he was out the door again, leaving her alone.

Elena sighed and reluctantly dragged herself out of bed to follow him. She pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders as she stepped over the threshold outside. Damon stood in the distance, his back to her and his posture such that she could tell he had his arms crossed defensively. His hair was tousled in the early morning breeze off of the ocean, his shirt a similar intensity of blue to the remnants of night on the distant horizon. Clouds dotted the skyscape over the violent waves, turbulent like the man before her.

"Damon," she called.

He didn't acknowledge her and she approached him, her bare feet padding against the damp sandy soil. She gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder, and he shifted his head to look at her. The pain in his features alarmed her at first, and she winced.

"This isn't about me, is it?" she asked quietly.

He laughed, shaking his head, before his eyes widened and stared into hers dizzily. "You don't get it, do you, Elena? It's _all_ about you."

"But how...? What about Katherine?"

He sighed, his gaze settling back upon the sea. "I loved Katherine, yes. And I would have been happy to find her again, to be with her again. But you..." He shook his head and turned around to walk away from her. She grabbed his arm and he stopped. Not because of force, but because she wanted him to.

"What about me, Damon? How can you expect me to understand if you're not going to talk to me?"

He stood quiet, turned away, the moments dragging out to eternity. She was certain she could feel the grass growing beneath her as she waited for something, anything... any reaction beyond this. Not that it was quiet entirely - the waves crashed below, the wind whistled around her, the seagulls called from above. But it was his wordlessness that deafened her.

Finally he maneuvered her hold so her hand was inside his, and they were both jolted by the innate electricity as his smooth cool fingers joined with hers. "Come with me."

She nodded slightly and allowed him to lead her along. They walked on a sandy path that grew more steep as they moved over the edge to the beach below. She was reminded of literary descriptions of English moors, what with the overcast skies, cool damp air, tall seagrass. She glanced behind her at their footprints on the wet beach, noticing now that he was shoeless as well. He helped her settle upon a large dried tree trunk resting horizontally, effectively acting as a bench. Her loose wavy hair billowed in the wind and she shook her head so it would blow away from her face. He remained standing, eyeing her.

"I wish I had a camera."

"Why?" she asked, beginning to feel self-conscious.

"Just the way you look. Relaxed, natural... gorgeous."

They shared a small smile, but she turned her attention to her toes in the sand. "You have to tell me what's going on. I don't deserve your anger and frustration, you know. Not when you're the one who brought me here-"

"Against your will," he finished, raising his hands defensively. "I know. And you're right." He ran his hands through his hair as he paced. "I went a bit mad when I found out Katherine wasn't in the tomb. But not for the reasons you think."

Elena was perplexed but she didn't say anything. She only waited for him to continue.

"I was upset that she had lied, had duped me for all of those years... that ultimately she didn't want me. But that wasn't the worst of it."

"Okay... so what was?"

He stopped in front of her and their eyes locked. "That I wasn't going to be able to ignore how I feel about you anymore."

Her stomach dropped at the admission - she didn't even know how to answer. But he wasn't waiting for her reaction before he went on.

"You've brought something out in me that's been dead for decades, Elena. Things I haven't felt for anyone, ever. Katherine doesn't hold a candle to you. But I couldn't give up on her, not thinking she was trapped. And you were in love with Stefan. I could have been content enough with Katherine, enough to leave you alone. But after Georgia, I've realized that there's something growing between us. More than just an understanding. You feel something for me, too, and you can't pretend to ignore it anymore. I'm not going to let you."

He was inches away from her now, and he kneeled down, taking her hands in his. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She licked her lips before she spoke. "I can't, Damon. I can't - even if there is something there, it doesn't change the fact that I love Stefan. And he doesn't deserve this."

He grimaced but remained focused on her. She felt like she was drowning in his eyes. "You can't ignore it, Elena. How are you going to settle for him when there's this connection between us? You have this... _fire_, that he dulls. That I see when it's just us. And you've been chipping away at me, to get to what's underneath. For what? Why would you bother, if you didn't care? And why did you let me kiss you last night? Why did you let me feed from you?"

She was shaking her head furiously. "No, no, no. Because you got me _drunk_, and because you were _hungry_, and because you kidnapped me. Because I was scared."

He stood up. "We both know that's a lie. You could have left last night. I wasn't stopping you. And you had two glasses of wine - you were far from intoxicated. By the alcohol, at least. I didn't do anything to influence your actions. That was all you. And as far as feeding..." He leaned in close, brushing his fingers along her neck. "You wanted to, my dear. I only had to ask. And I know, despite your protests otherwise, that you enjoyed it."

She pushed past him, crossing her arms as she stood at the edge of the water to put distance between them. "So is that your master plan then? Hmmm? To break me down until I give in, so Ican't go back to Stefan because of the guilt? Because I'm just as bad as Katherine, playing around with both of you?" Tears fell down her cheeks, but he wasn't fazed by her distress.

"I told you I wanted it to be real, Elena. I wasn't kidding. And as far as dabbling with both of us... I'm well beyond sharing with my brother anymore." He moved forward, hands on her upper arms to pull her closer. "But you shouldn't be feeling guilty about anything that goes on here. Stefan doesn't belong upon that moral pedestal you've put him on."

"Why? He's certainly more honorable than you."

He laughed dryly. "I love how he has everyone fooled. I'd be impressed if it weren't so _annoying_." Fury flashed through his eyes. "Stefan knew Katherine wasn't in the tomb. He's been in contact with her this whole time."

She gaped at him, stunned._ "What?"_

He reached into his pocket and tossed her cell to her. "You should have him tell you the rest."

"What am I even supposed to say? How can I pretend I don't know?"

"He's aware that you know. It's why he's not running after you, but he is expecting you to call him today."

'How...?"

"Because it was in the text I compelled you to send him, before I compelled Jenna to let you leave with me." She scowled and Damon smirked as he pressed his lips to her forehead reassuringly. "I'm going back so you can talk to him alone. Without worrying about me listening in. But I'm trusting you not to tell him where we are."

Elena nodded and watched him climb the winding path back up the bluff to the house. She swallowed as she considered the phone in her hand, and Damon's request. She finally began to dial.


	5. Chapter 5

The door slammed shut and Damon turned in time to see Elena slump down, her face crumpling. He was at her side in an instant and she leaned against him. Her chest heaved as she tried to overcome the sobs threatening to escape her.

"What happened?"

She shook her head and he lifted her into her arms as though she weighed no more than a feather. They settled onto the sofa, her curling into him with her head upon his chest. "You were right," she mumbled.

Damon stroked her hair, his heart tightening at how willingly she sought him out for comfort. "What did he say?"

"He said... that he's been in contact with Katherine the whole time. But he wouldn't tell me anything else."

"Nothing?"

She shook her head again as she looked up at him with heavy eyes. "I need to know all of it. Please."

He cursed under his breath. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because he wouldn't tell me either."

She considered this for a moment or two and he could feel her tensing as she pulled away to sit up straight. "Oh my God... how could I have been so _stupid?"_

He could almost see the waves of nausea and realization passing over her and had to wonder what exactly his brother said to trigger this reaction. But she wasn't elaborating. "What?" he finally asked.

"You used me to get the information from Stefan. All so you could find out about Katherine, to get her back. That's what this whole trip is about, isn't it?"

"What? No!" He took her hands into his, pulling her back into him, nearly choking at the look of distrust on her face. "You should know me better than that."

"I don't know what to think anymore, Damon. First Katherine's not in the tomb, then you tell me you have all of these feelings for me yet you dress me _just like her_, then I find out Stefan's been lying to me. The last 48 hours have sent my life into a tailspin -"

"Elena." He cupped her face in his hands, tilting it so she would be forced to look at him. "I would never lie to you. Everything I said earlier about you - it's all true. I could care less about her. But I think you deserve to know what's going on between them. For your own sake."

"Why does it matter?" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "He only told me it was a mistake, that he should have left me alone. That he wasn't supposed to fall in love with me. And now, it's over."

His eyes widened in surprise. "He ended things?"

"No. But how can it continue? He lied about her. Obviously I've been second best this whole time." Her voice cracked and she covered her face. Her body shook with sobs.

"You could never be second best. If you knew Katherine, you'd realize how absurd that notion is." His chin rested upon the top of her head as he held her tightly, attempting to quiet her despair. He placed a soft kiss against her forehead and whispered comforts into her ear.

"Thank you."

Her voice was muffled and small against his now-damp shirt, but Elena's words amplified his love for her, almost painfully so. Probably because he was still fighting for her. While she proclaimed that things with Stefan were over, he knew it was only uttered in the anguish of the moment. Normally he wouldn't shy away from pointing out all of his brother's negative traits for his own gain. What did he owe Stefan, anyway? But he had to navigate carefully with Elena. She could see through any ruse he employed. She would know he was using any of Stefan's missteps to his own advantage. That was what he had to avoid.

Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious about the nature of Stefan and Katherine's relationship over all these years. Not to mention that he was furious that they lied to him, letting him go into the tomb like a fool. The thoughts drove him mad for days after he found out. He obliterated his mind with bourbon, whiskey, tequila, vodka... anything he could get his hands on. And he ranted and raved against his brother, threatening him, Katherine, Mystic Falls - hell, the whole damned Commonwealth of Virginia.

But never Elena.

That was a threat Stefan assumed on his own, and Damon laughed to himself when he overheard them on the phone, his brother forbidding Elena's presence at the boardinghouse. He secretly delighted in the fact that Stefan was frightened over how potentially depraved his monumental admission of betrayal had made Damon. But blood and alcohol did little to dull Stefan's words echoing in his head:

_"Katherine sent me to watch over Elena."_

That was the part that caused him concern, that made Damon tell her, that made him guide her to demand the full truth from Stefan, the parts his brother refused to tell him. If Katherine was involved in any way, he knew Elena was not safe. And that wasn't a risk he could take, not without knowing why. Why Katherine was interested her. What connection there was between the two, that only she and Stefan knew about.

He only hoped Elena kept his trust. Because if she breathed a word of their whereabouts to Stefan, there was no way to keep her from Katherine.

* * *

Elena picked at her lunch. The spring day turned out to be unseasonably mild, and Damon suggested they drive to Hyannis for the afternoon. It felt good to be amongst civilization, to see that modern society still existed outside the charmingly antiquated cottage.

Now they sat at an outdoor table overlooking the craggy shore and bay. Damon told her about how the seawall was built in four different eras, hence the four distinct sections of rock, and how a powerful hurricane in the early 1900s actually moved some of the enormous boulders. She could see Hyannisport, home to the famous Kennedy compound, in the distance. Damon claimed to have rubbed elbows with the Irish boys out here at summer parties before they were presidents and senators, before America's golden Camelot era. It was funny how - despite modern appearances - this area possessed such a palpable history. One that was hundreds of years older than the vampire who sat next to her. Perhaps that was why he retreated here. Being as old as he was, maybe he found comfort in such history.

He broke his gaze away from the sea, watching her push her food around on her plate. "Seriously, Elena. First you turn your nose up at pickles, now fresh scallops? What's wrong with you?"

He snuck one off of her plate and popped it into his mouth with a smirk. She gave him a mock glare. "I'll have you know that I love seafood. But I don't have much of an appetite."

His expression softened and she felt his hand on her knee below the table. "I shouldn't have told you."

"No, I'm glad you did," she insisted, wiping at her mouth with a cloth napkin. "Stefan obviously had no intention of doing it. So I thank you for that." She weakly smiled at Damon, ignoring the butterflies that came as he squeezed gently at the bare skin of her lower thigh.

"Well, what do you say we get your food wrapped up? I'd like to take you to Provincetown before we head back."

"Sounds good," she agreed, and then excused herself to the bathroom.

She came out of the stall and washed her hands before looking in the mirror. The puffiness around her eyes from her earlier crying jag had dissipated, to her relief. She glanced again at the vintage green and yellow mini dress Damon had given her for their day out. It had to be from the seventies, and she bemusedly smiled at her reflection. With her long wavy hair, big sunglasses atop her head, brown knee high boots, and slim figure, this bohemian style suited her. And she didn't feel out of place. In fact, she felt attractive. Stylish. While she would probably get odd glances back in Mystic Falls wearing this ensemble, here she could step outside of the boundaries and be her true self. It was a relief to let the walls down and not try to act a certain way, or be strong for everyone else, or any of that. Damon was just letting her be. Letting her live. Of all people, it was a homicidal vampire who made her feel alive, who seemed to know her better than herself.  
She chuckled at the irony as she smoothed on a touch of lipgloss. She had never in her life been so happy to see her purse as when he handed it to her before they left. She ran her fingers through her windblown hair and then headed back out. That was another thing that surprised her - how now it didn't enter her mind to attempt to escape. After such a brief period, her emotions had done an apparent one-eighty. She just wanted to spend time with Damon. She was enjoying him, his company. And he was right - even in his most dastardly moments, he never lied to her. There was something to be said for his honesty, and that he didn't constantly try to shield her. If anything, he pushed her. And she usually appreciated it afterward, even though she would never admit it in the moment.

He was waiting for her beyond the door with a bag of styrofoam takeout containers in one hand, his other arm held out to her. She linked her arm through his, smiling and perching her sunglasses upon her face. They waved to the owners of the restaurant as they walked to his car.

"You should see the way they're looking at you," Damon crooned appreciatively in her ear, surveying first her legs and then the passersby.

"Maybe they're looking at you," she whispered back, and she giggled at his smirk.

"Or us."

"Yes, definitely us," she agreed, and her stomach flipped again at his genuine smile.

He closed the passenger door after she got in and then hopped into the driver's side. They traveled east along route 6, passing signs for the towns and villages of the Cape. Damon had initially provided a narrative of the areas, but after half an hour, they were riding in silence. It left her feeling unnerved. Damon seemed to be enjoying the scenery and the music on the radio, but she didn't want to be inside her head and thinking of his brother. So instead, she spoke.

"You never fully answered my question, you know."

He glanced at her curiously. "And what question would that be, my dear Elena?"

"Why you've been dressing me in Katherine's clothes." She gave him a pointed look at his groan. "Come on, Damon. It's a little creepy. How am I supposed to think you're seeing me for _me_ when I'm dressed like _her?"_

"Alright." He sighed, glancing at her again. "I know it's weird. But... I didn't want to think about Katherine anymore. She's haunted me for years. But you're so much more than she could have ever been. And seeing you, in these clothes, in the house... it cast the ghosts of her memories out. Exorcised my demons." He reached over to hold her hand, a wholly different scene in today's sunlight than it was the last time they were together in the car, in the moonlight. "This was where I planned to bring her after she got out of the tomb, to acclimate her to the modern world. And that would have been a mistake."

"Why?" she breathed, distracted by the circles his fingers were tracing into hers, distracted by the connection that was nearly visible between them whenever they touched.

"Because it would have been tainted by her presence. It wasn't meant for her, Elena. It was meant for you. I've realized that all of this, all that I've done - it's all been for you. I was preparing for you and I to be together." His lips pressed against her palm and she swallowed hard at the sensations the contact produced. She was simultaneously frustrated and relieved they were heading to another public location instead of the cottage, because she knew she wouldn't have stopped him once he began. Her skin glowed with a hint of a blush and she knew she needed the time to cool down before she did something she might regret later.

Her head was swimming when they parked near the boardwalk, and Damon held her hand as she got out. She'd just gotten upright and steady on her sea legs when she heard a woman calling her name. She looked around in confusion, and Damon eyed her suspiciously.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you hear someone call my name?"

He shook his head but a protective mask covered his earlier relaxed features. "A man or a woman?"

"A woman." But no one was approaching them.

_"Elena!"_

"Did you hear it that time?" she whispered.

Damon shook his head, visibly disturbed now, when the realization hit her.  
It was Bonnie. Inside her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Bonnie?"_

_"Oh, thank God it worked! I can't hold the connection open for long but-"_

_"Why are you in my mind?"_

_"Because we're going to come get you. Stefan told me Damon took you away. Do you know where you are?"_

_"I can't tell you."_

Elena could sense the confusion in her friend's mind, an odd sensation. But she hurried on.

_"I'm so sorry, Bonnie. But I don't want to see Stefan - I can't trust him. I promise I'll be safe with Damon. We'll be back soon. Just don't come after me."_

_"Wait - what's going on with you and Stefan?"_

_"Nothing. I'll promise I'll tell you everything soon. But for now, please... you have to leave my mind."_

She emphasized the last words inside her head, and she was relieved to hear Bonnie calling her name through static, traveling further away until finally her voice disappeared altogether. She wasn't sure how she thought that would work, to attempt to cloak her thoughts and perceptions... maybe a primal innate answer? She probed again for a moment. No, there was nothing. Elena opened her eyes to see Damon staring at her from where they sat on the bench.

"What's going on?" There was a subtle tension in his jaw. The emotions were hidden just below the surface, but she could read him easily now.

"It was Bonnie - some kind of spell where she could talk to me in my mind. She wanted to know where we are. But I didn't tell her," she added quickly, trying to dissipate the fury rising in his eyes.

"So my brother can play the knight in shining armor and rescue you from the big bad vampire, no doubt. So you can fall right back into his arms." He stood up suddenly, running a hand through his hair and pacing in front of her.

"I _didn't_ tell her. Or Stefan when asked me on the phone earlier. Neither of them know, because you asked me not to say anything and because I don't want to see him. Stefan and I are over."

Elena placed a hand on his shoulder from where she was now standing behind him. She hesitated briefly, not sure she wanted to confess yet. But she also didn't want him to worry, and after all of his honesty, she owed it to him.

"Damon...I want to stay here with you, until you're ready to go back. That's the biggest reason why I didn't tell them. I don't know exactly how or when it happened, but you're right - there issomething between us. That we need to figure out."

She stopped because he was staring at her, his eyes burning into her in such a way that her knees were weak. She wasn't normally a fan of PDA, but she welcomed his arm slipping around her waist and his lips crashing down upon hers. It kept her from falling to the ground in this dizzy state. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers tangled through his hair. The kiss was relatively chaste by his standards but still intense enough that she was left breathless when they separated.

"I think," he began huskily with swollen lips, "that we should go back to the house."

"Already?" Elena took his hand. "But I really wanted to see Provincetown. And besides, we have all night." She bit her lip to emphasize her plea. He growled as he pulled another kiss from her, making her shiver in the warm afternoon sun with his trailing fingers running against bare skin.

"You're lucky I can't say no to you," he said against her lips. "But later..."

She nodded in nervous anticipation. She gently pressed her lips against his a last time before pulling away with a smile. With a smirk in return, he allowed her to lead him down the sidewalk.

* * *

Bonnie sat up with a start. She looked around her bedroom. Stefan was next to her and his eyelids fluttered briefly before his gaze met hers. She stared at him sympathetically. He heard the whole exchange, even though Elena didn't know he'd accompanied the witch into her mind. Bonnie knew he saw the kiss between her and Damon, and that he heard her proclamation that her relationship with Stefan was over. Of course, Elena had thought they were gone at that point - Bonnie led her to believe it after she asked her to leave. But they had watched everything. And...

"He had to have brainwashed her. There's no way she would have gone to him willingly." He sounded like he was choking at the thought.

She shrugged. Bonnie didn't have the heart to dispute his argument, that Elena's feelings for Damon were strong and true. "Maybe we should just let them come back when they're ready."

She reached out to touch his arm reassuringly but he was already standing and moving away from her. He ran his hands through his hair and something flashed through his eyes. Fear? Anger? It was gone before she could read it.

"No, we have to get to her. Before anything else happens."

"I don't think Damon's going to hurt her, Stefan. She's probably the only other person he cares about in this world besides himself." Her eyebrows knit together. The same look was back on his face. Guilt. "What happened between you and Elena?"

He sighed. "Something I'm beyond ashamed about. Suffice to say I'm a selfish, horrible person, Bonnie. But if we don't get to Elena, she's in a lot of trouble. Katherine is looking for her."

_"What?"_ Bonnie could only gape at him as her mind raced and sputtered.

"There's not time to explain right now. Where did she say they were? Provincetown?"

She nodded dumbly, still in shock at the prospect of Katherine. Sure, she wasn't in the tomb. But how could Stefan know she was after Elena?

"Can you hand me your laptop?"

"Yeah, sorry - hang on." She slid off the bed to her desk, opening the computer and setting it next to him. He brought up a search engine and quickly typed in 'Provincetown, USA.'

"Only one match," he remarked, clicking on the map.

"Holy crap," Bonnie said under her breath. She watched as he zoomed out, looking at the tiny green curved peninsula that jutted into the vast blue Atlantic.

Damon had brought her nearly ten hours away from Mystic Falls - all the way to Massachussetts.

* * *

Elena stretched her feet over onto Damon's lap as they cruised down the highway, driving back to the house. _In Truro,_ she remembered. He explained it to her earlier, pointing out the general direction from the top of the Pilgrim Monument. The view of the Cape was awesome at such a height, and the ocean stretched out beyond it as far as the eye could see.

He glanced at her with a sideways grin, gently tickling the bottom of her feet until she protested. "Sorry," he offered, but he didn't look apologetic at all.

She laughed wearily, her head lolling against the window. "S'alright," she replied, punctuating her words with a yawn. "Thank you for today. This really is an amazing place. I can see why you would want to live here."

He nodded, lightly running his right hand over the top of her feet and shins. "So, earlier..."

"Mmmhmm?"

"You're sure things are over with my brother?"

Her smile faded. But she didn't look doubtful - only sad. "He lied to me, Damon. About one of the worst things he possibly could. And he lied to you. I just... I feel like he fabricated his entire existence to be a person I would love, only to betray me. I can't get over this."

They sat in silence for a few moments, but he didn't respond. His eyes remained focused on the road.

"But it doesn't diminish what I feel for you," Elena continued. "It was there before you told me what happened. It's just that now, I don't have to feel like I'm betraying anyone. I don't have to ignore it. I tried denying it, but I wouldn't have given in to you if I didn't want to on some level. Obviously I was curious..."

"Curiosity killed the cat," he teased, and he smirked again. She arched her back as his fingers ran along the inside of her bare thigh. She waited for his hand to continue further on its path, but instead his fingers intertwined with hers on her lap. "I can wait as long as it takes for you to figure this out, Elena. Just promise me you won't shut me out."

"I won't." She squeezed Damon's hand in reassurance before he let go to resume his massage of her legs.

Their ride continued in a comfortable silence, and soon they were pulling up to the house. He glanced over and realized she was asleep. He had been so consumed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice her breathing fall into the steady rhythm of slumber. He sighed in a mixture of disappointment and contentment. While he spent most of the afternoon daydreaming about her naked body beneath him, he supposed it might be for the better if she were well-rested first. So, a good night's sleep was probably in order, especially after the stress of the morning and the walking that followed later.

Damon lifted her out of the car, and she nuzzled into his neck with a sigh of her own. He smirked as he carried her inside to settle them both. Yes, he had a long day planned for Elena tomorrow. And it wouldn't involve leaving the house or any other distractions. Only the two of them, in bed.

* * *

_"Oh..."_

Elena forced her eyelids open, a familiar pleasant sensation building low in her belly. Sunlight surrounded her and reflected off of the black hair of the man - vampire - gently kissing along her bare stomach. A wave of dismay washed over her when she realized her last memory of last night was talking in the car.

"Good morning."

Damon smirked at her, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Hi." She gave him a shy smile after noting her state of undress. She was only wearing a tank and underwear beneath the sheets. "So..."

"Nothing happened last night," he pouted mockingly. "You fell asleep before we got home."

"Oh, good." She blushed at his offended expression. "No - that's not what I meant. It's just that I didn't remember anything, and that would have been a little disappointing."

He grinned, amused by her flustered state. "Well, you won't be disappointed for long."

Damon's face disappeared again and she felt him nipping at the inside of her thigh with blunt teeth. She gasped and twisted under his touch as he moved up her body. His mouth met hers finally and she moaned against his lips. When he pulled away to look at her, she could see his vampire side coming through. Her breath caught in her throat, strangely aroused by the thought of him feeding from her now. Elena nodded as their eyes met in lust.

There were a series of butterfly kisses as he turned his attention to her neck. Then she felt the sting of his fangs puncturing her skin. She bit back a groan at the discomfort, but it quickly faded. Waves of euphoria began washing over her, and she closed her eyes to experience it fully. She was flying high, all her senses heightened in pleasure. His left hand was near her neck, lightly stroking at her hair and her earlobe. The other traveled under her shirt against her skin, up her stomach, settling upon her breast. She gasped at the intensity of the sensations as he rolled her nipple between his fingers.

His mouth left her neck and he smirked. "I told you it could be enjoyable."

Elena's hooded eyes focused on the blood on his mouth and she bit her bottom lip. She drew his head down to hers and kissed him hard, tasting herself as her tongue ran against Damon's. After a few moments, his wrist replaced his lips. She lapped hungrily as his blood welled up out of the open wound. The connection that formed as he fed from her simultaneously? Mindblowing. As if his soul was wide open in front of her, nothing hidden, his love and desire for her flooding through Elena. But it wasn't like it was going to swallow her alive as she had initially feared. Instead, she felt whole. Something she was sure she wouldn't have experienced sharing blood with Stefan. She was suddenly glad she hadn't done this with Stefan. It was a moment that was hers and Damon's alone.

She let out a whimper of dissatisfaction when he pulled back too soon for her liking and turned away completely.

"Damon?" she asked, worried that he knew her thoughts had briefly traveled to his brother.

"Stefan." His tone held a note of disgust and Elena's stomach leapt into her throat.

"I'm sorry, I can explain," she began as she sat up. She almost fell back in shock.

Stefan stood in the doorway, his furious eyes meeting hers.

"Hello, Elena. Aren't you going to invite me in?"


	7. Chapter 7

Stefan stepped over the threshold and into the house. "So sorry to interrupt your rendezvous."

He approached the bed and Elena swallowed hard. There was something frightening in his eyes. A robe hung over the headboard, and she pulled it around her as she backed up across the mattress. Damon appeared in front of her suddenly, an impenetrable barrier between them.

"Don't even think about touching her," he growled.

Stefan stopped but didn't acknowledge his brother. His eyes stayed on Elena. "Please tell me he compelled you. I had to come here because I was certain he's been holding you against your will. That there's no way you'd choose him over me."

His voice cracked with the words. She winced at his pain but still shook her head, absently touching her vervain necklace. She could see the fury extinguished in his eyes, replaced with desolation.

"So you've decided you love him more."

She drew in a deep breath, trying to clamp down on her own anger that was rising. "I can't control how I feel - I've realized it would have ended up this way regardless. Though your lies helped speed things up."

He ran a hand over his face, then stared at the ceiling away from her pointed expression. "I am so sorry, Elena-"

"I don't want to hear it. And I don't want you here. I told Bonnie to keep you away- how did you find me?"

"We were both in your mind after you asked me to leave. We heard and saw everything. I'm sorry." Bonnie appeared in the doorway, sunlight streaming in behind her and illuminating her curly hair and slight form. "But I didn't have much of a choice. I was going to let you come back on your own, until Stefan told me that Katherine's after you."

_"What?"_

The exclamation flew from Elena and Damon's mouths in a perfect chorus.

"Is this just another one of your lies? A ploy to get to me?" she asked.

"You'd better tell us the whole truth, Stefan." Damon spoke through clenched teeth, his patience wearing thin.

Stefan stood quietly while he determined how to put this into words. Words that would tear Elena from him forever, that she would never forgive him for. But her hatred of him could hardly rival the guilt he already felt.

Damon stared at his brother, infuriated that he dared to even come here and start with this line of bull while withholding the truth. For chrissakes, they were talking about _Elena_. If Katherine was after her, they needed to know why. He couldn't lose her - _they_ couldn't lose her. Where Katherine had driven them apart, Elena began to bring them back together. And he knew Stefan would always care about her. So why was he holding out on them? Did he need some sense knocked into him?

Damon began to lunge at him when he felt Elena's hand grip his arm to pull him back. He looked at her wildly but she only shook her head. He choked back his rage with reluctance.

"Stefan. Tell me," she asked quietly.

"She wants to kill you," he finally said. "The whole purpose of you is to be a sacrifice, so she can rid herself- us- of the curse. She sent me here to watch over you until she could get here."

Elena could feel her face drain of color. _A sacrifice? _They intended to kill her this whole time? "You bastard," she whispered, her throat tightening. "How could you?"

"Elena-"

He began to try to explain himself but she was off of the bed and at him with impressive speed. She slapped him across the face, and his head snapped back with a hiss. She was strangely satisfied that she managed to inflict some discomfort on the traitorous vampire who she once loved... still loved? She couldn't be sure around the pain crushing her heart every time she thought of his betrayal.

_"I hate you!" _Elena screamed, and her balled fists landed against his chest, over and over. Stefan didn't stop her. He let her attack him, and she had the thought that he probably would have gladly welcomed her stake through his heart right now.

She continued on, cursing in a rage, blinded by the release of pent-up anger and the tears she wasn't even aware were falling. And she was deaf to both Damon and Bonnie pleading with her to stop. She would've kept on until she collapsed in exhaustion if Damon hadn't pulled her away. He tried to envelop her, to comfort her, to quiet her. But she shoved him away as well, turningback to Stefan with a glare of icy contempt. She was like a murderous huntress as she stood before him, bedraggled hair and a wild look in her eye.

"Elena," he began. "I know it doesn't seem possible, but I love you. More than anything. More than Katherine. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you, but I did. And I hate myself for hurting you like this... I was going to tell you, once I was sure Katherine couldn't hurt you-"

"You had no right to come here," she finally said, in a low, threatening tone. "You had no right to trick my best friend into finding me, and you certainly have no right to _ever_ speak ill of your brother after the lies you fed him all these years. Bonnie's grandmother _died_ because of you, and now there's vampires on the loose in Mystic Falls because we opened the tomb for no reason. And yet you profess you love me? You're the most deluded, selfish, arrogant monster I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. You should've let me drown. It would've been less painful than my life has been since you arrived in it. I hate myself for ever falling in love with you."

Her eyes met Damon's bewildered ones as she turned away from Stefan. She let out a choked sob and moved away from him as well, pushing past Bonnie and out the door. Stefan started to follow her but his brother held him back. They both received a glare from Bonnie as she went after Elena.

"Leave her alone," he ordered. The turmoil in Stefan's face would have normally made him soften his harsh stance, but he was still beyond irate. _How could he have ever thought of hurting Elena?_

"I should hold you down and let her stake you right now. I still might - but you're going to help me murder Katherine first," he added.

To his surprise, Stefan nodded. "It needs to end. All of it."

"I just don't understand how you could have ever considered offering her up to Katherine. It's _Elena_."

"I know that now. But before I met her... she was just a girl, and the key to breaking the curse-"

"What curse? What could possibly be so tempting to kill Elena? Especially to you, the vampire who eats bunnies to spare the precious humans. How could you take _her_ life?"

"Because she was created for this purpose by Emily, as a way to thank Katherine for protecting her. She created Elena to be sacrificed to turn Katherine into an immortal human, one who was free of the restrictions of sunlight. One who wasn't dependent upon blood for sustenance. One who retained the vampire strength, and hearing, and healing abilities... but without being damned. And she would be able to absolve her beloved of the same."

The way Stefan's eyes met his at the word 'beloved' made Damon's throat go dry. His brother, who forced him to turn almost a century and a half ago, leaving him in this demonic state while he went to live a life of light and love with Katherine. What had he ever done that was so utterlyhorrible in his human life that made him lose in this cosmic lottery? And _then_ to fall hopelessly in love with the sacrificial lamb? What a cruel fucking joke.

"So why was it that you couldn't let me die again? Why was it that I needed to turn if you were going to have an eternity of humanity with Katherine?"

"I didn't know it then. I thought she was dead for a long time. But she found me twenty-five years ago, when I was at a concert with Lexi. And she filled me in. She never wanted you to turn, Damon. I'm so sorry for that. I'm sorry for my selfishness back then, and now. I don't expect you to forgive me. But you've won Elena's heart, and that has to be some consolation for the years of suffering."

He snorted derisively. "I hope you're not expecting me to _thank_ you, brother. Because you're never going to hear it. Not to mention that you've put Elena in the line of danger." He shook his head. "So where is the fair Katherine now?"

"Well, I last spoke to her four days ago. She was supposed to be getting into Mystic Falls today."

He frowned. "Boy, you were cutting it real close, weren't you? And what was your big master plan to save Elena? Hmmm, Stefan?"

His brother sighed as he sank down onto the sofa. "I was going to ask you for your help in taking her down, but you took off with her before I got the chance." He twisted the heavy silver band around his finger. "But that's why I let you open the tomb. I wanted to let the trapped vampires out. I figured they may help take her down. The whole reason she allowed them to be trapped then was because they were planning an uprising against her. They didn't trust her."

"And you did?" Damon asked sarcastically.

Stefan shrugged, foolishness seeping into his body. Of course the same question had been in his mind over the last twenty five years. But there was only one way to truly find out if she were trustworthy, and that was to help her. That was what he told himself before he met Elena.

"It doesn't matter now, does it? We'll never find out. I went to Pearl before I came here. She's rallied the others under hers and Anna's authority, and they're seeking revenge. They're going to help us."

"No, they're going to help _you_. Because Elena won't be returning to Mystic Falls until Katherine is dead." Damon crossed his arms and his jaw clenched at Stefan's sigh.

"She's not safe here by herself."

"That's why I'm staying with her."

"And you don't have any desire to kill Katherine yourself? After everything we've been through?"

"Correction, brother - everything _I've_ been through. Since I've been the one keeping the torch alive. Not you."

"You know I'm going to need your help. Please. For Elena."

Damon felt his face vamping out with rage at his brother's hypocritical concern, considering he had caused this mess, and he didn't feel predictable should Elena return to the house right now. He grabbed a blood bag from the refrigerator and took a long draw, feeding the voracious bloodlust brought on by the heated argument. He managed to slow down after a few seconds, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply to regain control. When he opened them again, he looked out the window instead of at his brother. He needed just one more moment, and the view of the ocean calmed him. Bonnie sat not far from his gaze, her arms wrapped around Elena in comfort. Damon's chest tightened.

"Fine." He turned back to Stefan with a forced smile. "But you and the witch are heading back today so you can confront her first. Elena and I will leave tomorrow."

He gestured to the door.

"You've got a long trip ahead of you."

* * *

"I am _so_ sorry, Elena," Bonnie said as she sat down. "If I'd had any idea..."

Elena sniffled, her voice thick. "It's okay. You didn't know what had happened, or that he was using you. You were just worried about me. I would've done the same."

Tears stung at Bonnie's eyes as they embraced. She couldn't imagine life without her best friend, and in a matter of less than twenty four hours they'd both found out a homicidal vampire was after her. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

"Thank you."

They separated and looked out over the ocean. Bonnie kept a comforting arm around her. "The place of my ancestors."

"Do you feel connected?" Elena asked.

The witch nodded as she closed her eyes. "Their energy is still in this land."

She silently drew upon the charged atmosphere and soil as the current of the sea pulsed through her. She knew she was going to need all of the help she could get to work on defeating Katherine, to ensure Elena's existence. She chanted quietly to herself and despite the cool breeze, she felt cocooned in warmth. She smiled as she opened her eyes, energized by the inherent eyes traveled to Elena, who was now dozing beside her. She hoped some of the positive energy traveled to her as well, to help heal her from Stefan's revelations.

She sensed a presence approaching behind them and turned to see Stefan followed closely by Damon. She gently nudged Elena, who squinted as she woke in the sunlight. "They're coming," she whispered.

Elena sat up straighter and subtly nodded back, squeezing Bonnie's hand.

The witch stood and faced the two vampires. They both eyed her for a minute, and she resisted the urge to smirk. She knew the Power radiating off of her was practically visible. "So?"

"You and I are going to head back to Mystic Falls now." Stefan had his hands in his pockets uncomfortably as he met her probing gaze. "I'll fill you in on everything on the way back."

"And we'll be coming tomorrow," Damon added with a grim expression. "I don't want to just offer ourselves up on a platter without knowing what's going on in town first."

Elena remained silent throughout the exchange, anxiety shadowing her features. Bonnie turned back to her and gave her a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes," she answered.

Bonnie smiled reassuringly and squeezed Elena's hand.

_This is for you._

Her friend's eyes widened for a split second when she heard Bonnie's voice in her mind.

_How?_

_I spelled it before I left. Put it in your locket after we go. I don't want Stefan to know we can communicate this way, just in case. Or Damon for that matter. I don't know what Katherine has up her sleeve, and it's better if they're not aware._

_Okay._

Their hands separated, and Elena inconspicuously held onto the tiny crystal.

_I love you, Elena. Please be careful._

Bonnie gave a teary smile before she turned around to head to the car.

_I promise, Bon. And you, too._

Then Elena's eyes met her ex-boyfriend's and the warmth faded.

"Goodbye, Elena," he offered quietly. Tentatively.

She stared him down and pushed past Damon into the house without saying a word. Stefan sighed as she closed the door. He was trying not to feel discouraged, because he knew this was all his own doing. And he would still do everything in his power to absolve her of the danger Katherine presented. He knew he owed her that much, even if she hated him for the rest of their lives.

"Alright." He looked at Damon. "I'll call you tonight, let you know what's going on. You'll have your phone on?"

"Yes."

"I guess I'll see you later."

Damon gave a sharp nod. He didn't wait for his brother to leave before he went back into the house.

Stefan wasn't sure he'd ever felt so alone.


	8. Chapter 8

An empty glass in one hand and an empty bottle of vodka in the other.

Not quite the scene Damon expected when he returned inside.

Elena stared at him from the other side of the countertop. She set the items down and he could see both her vervain necklace and her black lace brassiere from where the top of her robe fell open. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. He swallowed hard, hyper-aware of how her eyes darkly burned through him with intoxication and determination.

Damon was - dare he admit it? - _intimidated_ by her. By this girl who was over a century younger than him, a _human_. And right now it wasn't because of his feelings for her, or his concern of losing her to Katherine's plan. If anything, he should find her weak. But right now, in this very moment, those eyes were telling him just the opposite. Her aura told him she was ready to rip him to shreds or consume him in lust.

He stayed still as she licked her lips and slinked ever closer, letting her make the move. It was a struggle - despite his uneasiness, he couldn't deny that she possessed an inherent raw sexuality. He wanted to devour her, right now, when she held more power in her eyes than he did in his entire body. But he didn't move, only watched her.

She stopped, their bodies so close that only a speck of dust could fit between them. Yet they weren't touching, and he fought the magnetic pull of their forms. His blood pounded through his ears, almost deafening in the in-between moment of waiting.

Then she spoke, her voice so quiet it was below a whisper - if it wasn't for his exceptional hearing, he would have missed those two powerful words:

"Turn me."

He didn't say anything or even visibly react though a thousand warring emotions and thoughts poured through him. He stared at her - was there any sign of doubt? Did she really just ask what he thought she did? Without any coercion or suggestion on his part?

But her expression, her eyes - they didn't falter. She wanted this.

And oh Lord, did he ever want her undead. Those were the words she uttered to him over and over in his lucid daydreams of late. He had imagined it countless times: feeding her his blood, her legs splayed across him, her body rising above him and his hands wrapped around her neck, gracefully forcing out her last ecstatic breaths while he moved inside her.

But now that she was here asking him... Damon couldn't do it. He always counted on his willingness to be the failsafe to draw her to his side - before this trip, that is. It was the one thing he knew he could offer her that Stefan would refuse, the one thing that she would ask of him. It was inevitable, only a matter of time. Because of course his brother the martyr would never _damn_ anyone. But eventually when she started to age, when Stefan stayed young, she would want to turn. And in his daydreams it was so easy. But now that she had begun to fall for him - he could feel what his brother had struggled with. He didn't want this for her.

At least, not so suddenly.

His eyes fixed on the pulsing vessels at her throat as he opened his mouth. Elena's lips were upon his before he could tell her no. He felt her fingers tugging at his buttons and her mouth traveled to his neck, her blunt teeth nipping at his flesh as she dipped her hand inside his jeans.

"God, Elena," he groaned, his hands dropping to her waist as she shrugged off the robe. He had them on the bed within seconds. He usually prided himself on his resolve but the pent-up lust of earlier combined with her seduction was overpowering. Maybe they could discuss her request later...

He allowed her to remain above him and she unzipped his pants while she alternated between suckling at his neck and his chest. His fingers slipped into her panties and he closed his eyes at how wet she was. He circled her nub and bit his lip on a smile at the gasps he felt against his skin.

_"Ohhhh,"_ she breathed when his fingers slid inside her.

He began to pump them in and out of her and she bucked against his hand, subtly at first and then more forcefully. Her hand was wrapped around his erect member but she was having trouble keeping a rhythmic pace as his fingers alternately teased and tortured her. His other hand pinched at her nipples and she dropped her head to his shoulder, her breathing and moans muffled as she inched closer and closer to the brink of release. He lifted her up and she looked startled, gasps escaping her lips.

"I want to watch you come," he told her, his eyes locking with hers.

A deep flush settled under her skin but she didn't break the stare. A smirk spread over his features as he found that spot deep inside her and he began to massage there. Elena's mouth formed a semi-permanent 'o' and her breath hitched inside her throat. He felt her shaking and shuddering around him as her moans broke forth, each louder than the last. She came undone, frenziedly grinding against his hand as he added a third and then fourth fingers to the mix. He was glad there were no neighbors as her wailing could have brought a whole town down.

"Damon, oh God, please- ohhh...yesss..." Incoherence followed as she eased down from the crescendo and her eyes rolled back. But he couldn't wait. Her display had him painfully aroused and he had to have her _now_.

He replaced his fingers with his hard length, filling her to the hilt before she had time to react or recover. Her eyes shot open and he drew in a sharp breath at how tight she was. But not too tight - no, just... perfect. Better than he could have imagined. He stilled to give them both a moment to adjust to their fit.

Then Damon began to thrust in and out - slowly at first but quickly settling into a fast enough pace that was too much for her - almost. Her breaths were coming in high pitched moans, one continuous orgasm that never ended as she contracted around him. He was nervous Elena might hyperventilate but she felt so _good_ that he couldn't stop. And her arms were like a vice grip around him so he couldn't move even if he'd wanted to. He kissed her again, the sweet alcohol mixing with her own flavor, her cries muffled to a dull whine.

He flipped them over quickly, hoping she might catch her breath if he took over the dominant position. But in the movement Elena had buried her face back into the crook of his neck and bit down _hard_ to try to temper some of the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her. He growled and felt his features vamping out as his own release spiraled near. It took all of his resolve not to bite her back, especially now when she might pass out from the sensory overload.

Damon nuzzled into her neck, unable to hold himself upright any longer. His whispers turned into moans and groans as her body began clamping tightly around him, overwhelming him. He shuddered against her as they came together, momentarily deaf and dumb, unable to move or do anything except _feel_.

It wasn't until he recovered enough to move in for a kiss that he noticed his blood smeared across Elena's mouth. At the recognition in his eyes, she quickly dove back to his neck and sucked in one more long draw just before his wound could heal. He was momentarily stunned but then the gravity of the situation settled in and he pushed her off of him.

"Elena, no! Jesus Christ..." He held her by the shoulders and finally he could see the fear. She tried pulling away but couldn't move.

"Please, you have to - just help me -" Her fists were up against him. _"Please!"_

Tears were running down her face and his heart felt like it was going to explode. He shook his head as he gently thumbed the blood away from her lips and chin.

"Why not?" Anger flashed through her eyes and his jaw clenched. "What difference does it make if it's now or five years from now? If we're together it's going to happen. So why do you care when?"

"Why do _you_ care, Elena?" His voice lowered as his eyes searched hers. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

He already knew the answer, of course. But if she was forced to say it aloud, maybe she would realize the absurdity of the notion. She stiffened in his arms, her chin rising in regal indignation, a posture on her that would forever remind him of her ancestress.

"Because if I'm already dead, she can't kill me." Her eyes turned cold. "If you'd followed through on your threat, we wouldn't even have to discuss this right now."

Damon sighed inwardly, knowing she was trying to get a rise out of him, but he was refusing the bait. She didn't know that he'd never had any intention of turning her by his father's grave that night. But Stefan didn't know either, and Damon knew the ruse was his only chance to get to Katherine. He fought back a grim laugh at how both he and Elena turned out to be the naive pawns in this whole game of cat and mouse.

"It's going to happen," she repeated, her dark tones breaking him out of his thoughts. "Whether you help me or not."

"Oh, really?" It was his turn to be snide. "And how exactly do you plan that? Considering I'm the only vampire you have access to right now."

"I've got your blood. I only need to die."

His smirk faded into a frown and she gasped as he pulled her to him, shaking her. "You won't do any such thing. You forget that you're isolated here. Just you, and me. If you're not going to cooperate, I'll snap that necklace off of your neck so fast that your head will spin."

Her eyes were wide as he stared down at her. She remained silent, though - whether from fear or refusal he wasn't sure.

Damon's hands tightened on her upper arms - not enough to hurt her, just to reinforce that he was serious. He didn't like resorting to scare tactics with her, but he was also furious that she had apparently played him to get her way. It was something he would have expected from Katherine, but it wasn't a good look on Elena.

"Are you going to play nice, or do I have to be mean?"

"I - I won't."

"Won't what?"

"Turn."

Her voice trembled as she agreed to his terms, and he released her. Elena slumped back against the pillows and he rose to dress. He moved to the kitchen, picking his cell phone up off of the counter. He glanced at her frequently as he dialed Stefan's number to inform him that there would be a delay in their return to Mystic Falls. He couldn't trust her, not with that veiled stubborness in her eyes, or the implied 'yet' after her last answer.

Not with these shades of Katherine showing through.


	9. Chapter 9

The stranger's voice was what first drew Elena out of her lucid sleeping state, followed by the pressure of Damon's hand on her shoulder.

The bed sagged under his weight and she rolled toward him, anxiety gnawing away at her stomach as she remembered yesterday's events. How he barely spoke with her afterward. How he called Stefan and told him they were going to be delayed because he needed to 'keep an eye on her.' How she could read the betrayal in his eyes whenever he looked at her.

And yet he still took care of her. He still cooked her dinner and drew her bath, and watched over her so that she couldn't make that grave mistake. That rash decision that seemed to be her only option after Stefan left, as she frantically replayed his words in her head - that she was Katherine's sacrificial lamb. She swallowed against the throbbing in her throat as she met his tender blue eyes, his hand brushing against her cheek, a soft smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked, his voice just as quiet.

"Not trusting you yesterday to keep me safe, and trying to turn myself. I -"

His lips cut her words short. It was a gentle kiss, but enough to reassure her. His face remained close though their lips separated and his gaze searched hers.

"It didn't happen. That's what matters, okay? You just have to promise me you won't try it again - not until we're both ready."

She nodded and closed her eyes as his lips brushed over hers again, almost a whisper against her skin.

"There's someone here for you to meet, Elena." His hand still held hers but he sat more upright and she looked at him quizzically. Damon didn't answer her unspoken question before he stood and waited. She pulled her robe on, more anxiety filling her.

Elena peered past the curtains and saw the dark silhouette of a man outlined against the sunlight-filled kitchen windows. Her eyes were on the floor as she stepped off the platform but when she looked back up, she met a piercing dark gaze, one worn on the chiseled, classically handsome - _no, gorgeous, _she corrected herself - face of a dark-haired man. He took her hand in his and pressed it to his lips, his energy zipping through her like a bullet to the heart.

"Hello," came his softly accented voice. "Elena."

"Y-yes," she answered, her cheeks reddened and eyes studying the floor before stealing another glance at him. She couldn't hold his probing gaze for too long, and she looked down to their joined hands again. That was when she noticed his ring. His lapis ring.

"I'm honored to finally meet you. I'm Elijah." A faint smile played upon his lips as his eyes roamed over her slight frame. "A friend of Damon's."

"Yes," Damon piped in and a new wave of nervousness washed over her. She'd nearly forgotten he was here, entranced in the presence of this charming stranger. But her lover's hand was on the small of her back to ground her as he continued. "He's taking you back to Mystic Falls."

"What?" Her head snapped in his direction. "No, Damon, I don't think that's a good idea-"

"But we both already agreed that it's an _excellent_ idea." Elijah raised an eyebrow at her and she swallowed uneasily. "Right, Damon?"

The blue eyed vamp nodded, his expression strangely flat. "You have to go with him, Elena. He'll get you home safely."

Her eyebrows knit together as she regarded him suspiciously. The man who wouldn't let her out of his sight, who vowed to do anything to protect her - he was going to let her leave with a vampire she'd never met before? Something seemed off, and his face wasn't giving anything away. She couldn't read him at all, not like she usually did.

"And where will you be?" she finally asked, crossing her arms in front of her as she stood between the two men.

"I have an errand to run, and then I will meet you there."

"What about Katherine?" She had kept her voice purposefully low, but Elijah let out an amused snort from behind her. She glanced at him over her shoulder, watching as he tried to hide a smirk.

"Don't worry, Elena. Katerina isn't a threat." He cocked his head to the side. "Now gather up your belongings so we can get you home."

Damon nodded in agreement, and she fought back tears as she moved past both of them to the bathroom. There was already an outfit laid out for her, one of her own - skinny jeans and a knit long sleeved red top, along with her leather jacket. She couldn't help but notice how they felt foreign against her skin after days of wearing the clothes from Damon's collection. She slowly pulled on her boots and perched her sunglasses on her head. And before she left the room, she carefully set the folded robe and chemise on the bench near the tub.

"Okay," she called as she headed back into the parlor. Elijah was perched on the arm of the sofa, flipping through a magazine. He set it down and approached her.

"You have everything?"

She nodded. She had moved Bonnie's miniature crystal inside her bra, just in case he managed to sniff out her vervain necklace. If not for that tiny bit of security, she would have been more inclined to fight off leaving with this person so blindly trusted by Damon - who never trusted anyone to do anything for him.

"Goodbye." Blue eyes filled her vision as Damon slid his hands under her jacket and pulled her in for a farewell kiss. She put her arms around his neck, drawing it out and earning a groan from him against her lips.

"Are you sure you want me to leave?" she whispered coyly and he smirked.

"Nice try," he answered and the twinkle in his eyes set off her butterflies. "But you have to go. I promise, you'll be fine." He ran his fingertip over the end of her nose in an effort to lighten her mood. And she wanted to believe him, but his assurance didn't stop the panic from rising in her chest.

"I love you, Damon," Elena whispered as she caught his hand in hers again. His eyes widened slightly, as if he was startled by her admission, as if it didn't seem real to him. In the next instant she was flush against him, his arms crushing her to the point that she almost couldn't breathe.

"I love you _so much," _he whispered fiercely into her ear before kissing her neck. Her eyes were closed, her mind recording his voice as the perfect memory. Because there was a cognizance in Damon right now that had been missing the rest of the morning, as if he'd been overly preoccupied. And there was an edge in his voice right now, like he wanted to tell her more-

Elijah cleared his throat. "I don't mean to shorten your goodbyes, but we need to get on the road."

And with that, Damon let her go gently. She searched his face, but that light - that _fire_ - was gone. A dullness replaced it. She was sure there was something more going on, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She reluctantly moved away from him as Elijah guided her out of the house.

"Goodbye, Damon," he called. "Don't forget what we discussed."

A parting glance at Damon didnt reveal anything behind Elijah's suspicious words, and Elena sighed in defeat. She put her sunglasses on as they stepped into the bright light, and Elijah's hand was under her elbow as they rounded the side of the house.

Before them a black Jaguar gleamed ominously in the sunlight. Elijah moved forward and opened the passenger door, gesturing her inside.

"Miss Gilbert?"

Elena blinked a few times as she slid into the seat and he closed the door behind her. She briefly considered jumping back out of the car while he walked to the driver's side, but she took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. Damon wouldn't let her leave with someone weak or incapable. She needed to trust him, even if all of her instincts were screaming at her that this was _wrong_.

The engine hummed quietly as they set off down the sandy road. Elijah switched on the satellite radio and Interpol filled the car.

"Is this acceptable?" he asked with a glance, that same subtle smile on his features. It didn't hold the same cockiness as Damon's smirk. It was more... bemusement, but not warm by any stretch. There was an air of seduction behind it, and Elena imagined it graced his features both as he drew his victims in and as he watched them die. She held still against the shiver that ran down her spine.

"It's fine," she answered icily. She didn't want to feed into his aura. She just wanted to be home, to see her family, Bonnie - even Stefan would be a welcome acquaintance over Elijah while she waited for Damon.

His smile widened as he looked back to the road. "You don't need to worry, Elena. You're safe with me. Safer than with Damon, or even God himself. If you believe in that sort of thing."

Her mouth quirked in disdain and she noticed the amusement reached his eyes. She looked back out the window, as they drove further from the ocean and the cottage. Her heart tightened at leaving Damon behind.

"It's going to be a long drive if you plan on giving me the silent treatment."

"Fine." She turned to him with her arms crossed, burrowing into the leather seat. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

He laughed. "You're nothing like her and yet your mannerisms can be identical when you're angry. I'm sure neither Salvatore brother ever told you that."

Her jaw clenched in irritation and insecurity. "No, they haven't."

"They probably didn't want to offend you. But it's not an insult, my dear girl. Just an indication that the same incendiary blood runs through your veins. Petrova blood."

Elena stared at him, considering the meaning beyond his words. That maybe he held a key to her past, beyond her birth mother Isobel... maybe Elijah knew why she looked like Katherine. But she didn't want to seem too eager, too interested. She still didn't trust that he was telling her the truth.

"So you know her. Through Damon?"

His laugh answered her again. "No, no. I've known Katerina far longer than him. In fact, I never had the pleasure of meeting Damon until today."

The sound of the radio and his voice began to swirl around her in a high-pitched whine, confusion and apprehension clouding her senses. "What are you talking about? He said you were friends-"

"Yes, because I compelled him to."

"Compelled? But how...?" Her throat started to tighten as the realization sank in. Damon never intended for her to leave with Elijah. She wasn't safe, and now she was trapped. Alone with this complete stranger, probably one of Katherine's henchmen ready to deliver her straight to her death. _Oh God, oh God, oh God,_ she thought.

"Because I'm thousands of years old, you see - the sire of all vampires..."

Her vision was closing in, darkening at the periphery as her brain shut down. But his last words filtered through her tunneled hearing.

"I'm what they call the Original."


	10. Chapter 10

_"Goddammit!"_

Damon fell to his knees, tearing at his hair. He had just let her walk right out of the door, with _him_. And as much as he knew it was wrong, it was as if his mind wasn't his own - he was torn in half, between trying to tell her what was really going on and doing what he was compelled to do.

Who the hell ever thought that a vampire could compel another vampire?

Except Elijah was _old_. A nuclear aftershock was probably more subtle than the waves of age and power radiating off of the elder vamp. Damon knew from Katherine's stories that a long existence brought more and more power than newborns could dream about. But she never warned him about this.

And even with him out of the immediate area, Damon couldn't disobey. His common sense was telling him to call Stefan, to tell him and Bonnie that he needed their help in finding Elena, but another voice insisted that he wouldn't tell _anyone_. And that was the voice that his body, his entire being was listening to.

_You have to leave now._

His body straightened itself until he stood, and he pulled his cell phone off of the table. He felt for his keys in his pocket and then turned to take one last look at the interior. His gaze lingered over the mussed bed linens and dirty dishes in the sink.

_You don't have time right now._

And he knew he didn't. He hated to leave the space any less than immaculate since he didn't know when - or if - he would be back. But he couldn't argue with the voice, especially knowing it was right. He locked the door and closed it behind him, his eyes adjusting to the painfully bright sunlight.

He settled behind the wheel of his car and was soon flying west along Route 6, speed limits be damned. But he wasn't following Elena, as much as he wanted her right next to him under his protective eye, as much as he didn't trust Elijah.

No, he had to head north first to take care of some business. To Salem.

* * *

"Elena."

She jumped, her eyelids blinking furiously as she reoriented herself. _In Elijah's car,_ she thought, noticing that they were traveling over an enormous bridge toward the mainland.

"H-how long?" she croaked out.

"We're still only in Massachusetts, so several hours till we're back in Mystic Falls," he answered, with an eyebrow raised.

"No, I meant - how long was I out?"

"Ah." Elijah chuckled. "Maybe twenty minutes? Your brain needed to reboot."

She gave a sharp nod in response before staring down at the choppy water in the bay below.

"I'm not out to harm you, Elena."

She closed her eyes briefly to steel herself for what she was sure she wouldn't want to hear. Life over the last week had been a nightmare and then amazing before plunging back into nightmare territory again. And she was sure it was only going to get worse.

"Why did you take me?" she finally asked.

"Because you need to be protected."

"So you're not bringing me to Katherine to be sacrificed?"

"God, no." He almost looked insulted.

"But why not leave me with Damon?" She tried to ignore the ache in her heart as she said his name. "He's more than capable of keeping me safe."

The bemused smirk returned to his face. "For about 99% of whatever supernatural entities you could encounter - yes, Damon is smart and resourceful enough to protect you. But what you're facing is much bigger than Katerina. You'd be lucky if she was the only one after you."

Dread consumed Elena, but it was almost as if she knew this before Elijah confirmed it for her. As though somewhere deep in her psyche, she knew there had to be a reason they were identical, and that it wasn't good. It couldn't be - not after hearing how much turmoil Katherine caused in the Salvatores' lives. And she could only imagine how much other havoc her elder twin had wrought in her time upon the planet. But Elena wanted to know more - she couldn't blindly trust everyone else to keep her safe without knowing what she was being kept safe _from_. She needed the whole story.

And she was nearly willing to bet her own life that it was a tale Elijah was quite familiar with, likely on a firsthand basis.

"So are you planning on telling me?" she asked after a few minutes of quiet contemplation. "I mean, we _do_ have at least eight hours of silence to fill."

"Very true." Elijah smiled wryly, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Elena gave him a small smile in return. As much as she wanted to be angry that he'd taken her right out from under Damon's nose - she had enough on her plate to worry about. She didn't need to expend the rest of her energy on a futile exercise in holding a grudge when there was no changing the situation. And she couldn't be sure but it seemed that maybe this Original held a tiny bit of warmth toward her. It was still too early to tell or to trust, but maybe she would be grateful to him in the end. Maybe they would end up friends...

"I should start at the beginning."

She nodded and curled her legs up next to her, burrowing into the seat while she waited for him to continue.

* * *

Bonnie didn't even have a chance to yawn as she woke. She gasped at the unexpected presence of the vampire seated at the end of her bed.

"Sorry," Stefan smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay." Her heart was pounding but she managed to keep the edge out of her voice. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Well, I made some phone calls to excuse you from school for the rest of the week... family emergency. I figured I would meet you here since we have a lot to go over in the grimoire."

She nodded as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes.

"Katherine's on her way."

"I thought she would already be here?"

"No, she said she got delayed. I'm expecting her late tonight," he answered.

"And Elena?"

"Damon's not sure. He's going to call me when they're leaving."

She looked at him suspiciously, as she thought they were already supposed to be back in Mystic Falls as well. But she could tell by his grimace that something was up, and that he knew he didn't have any choice but to tell her.

"She tried to turn herself, Bonnie."

_"What?"_

He nodded gloomily. "She should be alright, but he's keeping an eye on her to make sure his blood is out of her system."

Bonnie remained quiet, still stunned and attempting to process that her best friend - practically her _sister_ - tried to kill herself to become a vampire. She couldn't lie and say she didn't feel a little disappointed that Elena didn't reach out to her. After all, Bonnie had gone to great lengths to make herself available whenever Elena might need her, what with the crystal. However, given the situation, she knew she needed to be the bigger person and not hold it against her - not with everything going on. But she also knew the more likely scenario. Elena didn't want her anti-vampire best friend to try to talk her out of it.

Bonnie sighed and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Stefan run his hands over his face anxiously. "It's my fault... if I hadn't come here, if I never bothered with Katherine again-"

"Stefan, don't say that." She tentatively reached out, resting her hand on his arm. "If you weren't here, Elena would be dead - she would have _drowned_. And even if she miraculously survived the accident, Katherine would still be a threat - except we would have no idea."

He didn't raise his head from his hands, and his voice was muffled when he did speak. "I came here to kill her. How could I have expected her to react any differently? She thought I was a good man, Bonnie. But I'm not, and after this is over..."

His haunted eyes finally met hers, brimming with barely contained distress. She saw his fingers twisting at his ring and her stomach was twisting right along with it. A flash of panic coursed through her at what he was insinuating. Bonnie tightened her grip on his arm.

"No, don't even _say_ that - you can't."

He tried to look back to the floor but she took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Stefan - _please_. Yes, you had bad intentions when you came here - but you turned it around! Isn't that what matters? We all make mistakes, but you need to stop blaming yourself. You know better than anyone that nothing in this world is black and white."

He shook his head, defeat in his eyes, and her voice trembled as she hurried on.

"You have to promise me you won't do it - even after this is over, regardless of what happens, you're not going to kill yourself. Damon and Elena are just upset. But you and I both know they wouldn't be able to live with themselves if you were gone forever! They'll forgive you eventually, okay? Just trust me."

They sat in silence for more than a minute, and Bonnie held her breath, watching for a sign that her words had reached him, an agreement on his part. But his face remained desolate and with a heavy sigh he pulled away from her grasp to stand.

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

He was out of the room before she could say another word. A few stray tears escaped her tired eyes as she gathered the volumes of the grimoire.

_Damn you, _Katherine, she raged inside her head as she surrendered to the hot tears of despair and frustration. _Damn you and all your destruction... all the good people you've destroyed and all innocent lives you've ruined._

She didn't know if there would be anything left to any of them after this was all over.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: This was written before we found out Elijah & Klaus were brothers Kane before we knew any of their backstory. I based this on Klaus's proclamation in the books that he was around when Stefan's ancestors were building the Roman Colosseum. And I like my version, so I left it. )

* * *

**_{30 BC}_**

_The sun was the first anomaly._

_Elijah woke on the Egyptian desert floor in its blazing rays. His veins were burning and the light was brighter than anything he'd ever experienced in his previous 30 years. He opened his mouth, and he was surprised he could make a sound... though his voice was hoarse and cracking. He was certain he was gravely dehydrated._

_"Lucius," he called to his friend, a fellow tribune. He was lying a few yards away, the reflections from his imperial Roman armor blinding Elijah. But Lucius did not move. His auburn hair was dusted with a coating of sand, likely matted there by perspiration._

_Except despite the intense heat, Elijah noticed he himself was not sweaty at all. His skin remained dry - cool, even. He scrambled to his feet. Was he hallucinating? More ill than he thought? He closed his eyes as the world spun around from his too-sudden movements. He needed water._

_It was then that a young local ran to his side, a rudimentary canteen in his hand._

_"Here, soldier," the man offered, waving it in front of him. Elijah caught it in his grip, pulling the top off and waiting for the cool liquid to soothe his parched viscera. But it did nothing. He started to take another swig but as soon as it passed his lips he spit it on the ground. The water tasted vile._

_"What is this?" he asked the young man, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Are you trying to poison me? A general in the Roman Army?"_

_The younger man sputtered and attempted to pull away as Elijah closed in. He couldn't take his eyes off of the throbbing carotid in the man's neck. And his fear was radiating through the air like nothing Elijah had ever sensed. It was thrilling and bizarre._

_But he didn't have much time to contemplate what was happening to him. Every base instinct in his body was telling him to __**bite bite bite,**__ pulsing along with that artery that hypnotized him. He lunged at the young man's throat._

_A strong hand clamped down on his shoulder when he was just millimeters from his target. He turned and saw blue eyes staring back at him._

_"Follow me," Klaus instructed. And then he spoke to the young Egyptian in low tones until his frightened face smoothed into a calm expression. Elijah watched with unnerved curiosity before he followed him into one of the army's tents._

_"I don't know what came over me," Elijah explained quickly. "It must be the dehydration...am I hallucinating? The last thing I remember is our dinner last night with the shaman and now..."_

_Klaus held his hand up and Elijah quieted. Though they were each the other's closest friend, he was still second to Klaus's position as legion commander in Octavian's army. And when othermilitary personnel were present, roles needed to be obeyed and upheld. He clasped his hands behind his back as they entered the dim interior. The shadows were a welcome relief to his eyes._

_A sinister smile raised the corners of Klaus's mouth and he watched as Elijah focused. There, upon the makeshift bed and cushions, lounged an Egyptian girl, surely no older than twenty. Her dark curly hair was loose around her shoulders and her citrine colored orbs glowed against her kohl rimmed lids and amber skin. Her muslin shift clung to her skin so he could make out her slender form underneath. She sat forward and gave him a secretive smile, drawing him in. Elijah glanced from her to Klaus and back again, unsure of what his friend had up his sleeve._

_"Yours," Klaus answered to his unspoken question. "To seduce, to ravage... to drink."_

_"Drink?" Elijah's eyebrows knit together._

_The other man chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder as he moved to leave the tent with an eyebrow arched. "You'll figure it out. I'll make sure the guards don't allow any interruptions."_

_And then, they were alone. Her stance remained the same, the smile unwavering as she waited on him. His eyes locked on her full lips and he moved forward, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her up to him, their mouths crashing together. She moaned as he pressed his body against her and his one hand started to push her gown off. His other hand ran between her legs and a second moan escaped her. Her mouth opened to grant his tongue access and he had never been filled with so much lust. Lust and... hunger?_

_His mind was too clouded for him to stop but he swore he could smell her blood, hear it pumping through her veins as he pushed her back against the bed and entered her. Her nails scraped along his back with each thrust and he had this ache in his mouth, in his gums. The urge to bite her was overwhelming and he felt as if he was going out of his mind._

_But it was as though she sensed his frenzy and as his release hurtled toward him, she pulled a dagger from beside her, making a jagged cut along the top of her breast. He was mesmerized as her blood welled forth and she cried out in her own ecstasy when he tasted it. He lost all control the moment her blood hit his tongue and he came undone along with her, sucking from the cut, the ache in his gums intensifying until he bit down on her soft flesh, relief finally washing through him._

_But it was replaced by horror when he ran his tongue over his canines and nicked himself. They were long, razor sharp - foreign in his mouth._

_He reared back, alarmed at what he had done, the blood smeared all over her chest and neck._

_Her breaths were coming in pants beneath him but she smiled again in her post-coital glow, her fingers tracing over his face and he felt his skin pulsating under her touch. It was as if his vision was amplified - he could make out every vein under the rusty viscous fluid on her skin. His mind was hazy as he wondered what was happening to him. Had the shaman done this? Was he some kind of __**monster?**_

_But the coppery smell invaded his thoughts and he couldn't bring himself to care that he was craving blood. He didn't resist as she pulled him back to drink - he was just relieved that his thirst had subsided._

_When he emerged from the tent hours later, dusk was settling, and his carnal urges and bloodlust were dulled. He felt a pang of guilt as he glanced again at the lifeless body against the pillows, her face frozen in rapture. But there was an energy humming through his veins like nothing he'd ever known before and he found he could see far over the desert in the fading light. Klaus was next to him, Lucius now standing to his other side. His grey eyes held the same wonderment that Elijah felt._

_As the blonde man regarded them with a satisfied smirk, Elijah asked, "What is happening to us?"_

_Klaus nodded slightly, leading them to another guarded tent where three more women awaited them. He sat down between two, his tall, broad form dwarfing them. The one to his right wrapped her arms around his neck, and Elijah and Lucius watched their commander's face darken with veins, his teeth elongating into fangs and sinking into the soft flesh of her neck. They were entwined as he fed on her blood, both groaning happily as he pulled her into his lap for better access._

_Elijah knew he should be horrified that he watched his friend transform into a demon before his very eyes, but instead his hunger surged. And when one of the other women pulled him down, he quickly found himself in the same position. He smiled when the first drops of her warm blood coated his throat and trailed to his stomach._

_Later, after the smell of sex and blood filled the air, and three thready heartbeats reverberated through their ears, Klaus finally spoke._

_"It is amazing, is it not?"_

_"And what would that be, commander?" Lucius asked, his normally pale cheeks ruddy with the women's blood pumping through his veins._

_"Our new power." He stood in front of the other two. "We are immortal now, my brothers, bound in blood. I'm sure you've noticed your newfound strength and vision, all magnified by feeding from the blood of others. And because of that, we will never age. We will never die."_

_Elijah regarded Klaus suspiciously. The blonde man had always appeared as the embodiment of Mars himself, reveling in war and casualties. He already killed without remorse, and with the power he now possessed... it didn't sit well with Elijah. It seemed to be a formula for disaster and depravity. "How did this happen, without our consent? And for what in return?" he asked._

_"It is a gift from the shaman, for our help. I've already taken care of his request, don't worry yourself. He's now the governor of this local state, a man spurned no more."_

_Klaus's smug expression fell a bit before he continued. "He did have stipulations, of course - we aren't supposed to blindly kill, though for the initial transition from our human state a... __**sacrifice**__ was required. But from here on out we have to try to control that urge. Unless the death is warranted, of course."_

_The pang of guilt struck again as Elijah thought of the dead girl a short distance away. What would her family think when they received her body?_

_Klaus eyed him, his voice mocking. "Oh, Elijah, always so concerned for others. The girl was a local prostitute," he nearly spat. "Her family will be glad she's dead and no longer able to bring shame upon their house."_

_"Oh? And who did you kill? Some vagrant on the street?" he countered._

_Klaus sneered, as if such a mercy killing was beneath him. "How do you think our dear friend came into power?"_

_And the realization dawned upon him. "The previous governor."_

_Klaus's smile was enough of an affirmation. "We need someone loyal to Octavian and the Roman Empire in power here, to control the potential uprising. Am I wrong?"_

_Elijah crossed his arms defensively but remained silent._

_Anger flashed through the blonde man's icy stare at the lack of enthusiasm. "Are you doubting my decision, Elijah? To have the shaman give us this power? You will be thankful one day, mark my words. We will be the rulers one day. And you would do good to remember that, who gave you the power you'll possess."_

_He had to turn away from Klaus, knowing he wouldn't win this battle. Of course, as a young man in his prime, the idea of eternal youth had its appeal. But he wasn't blind to the complicated changes to their lifestyles that would surely be required as people began to notice that they didn't age. And then there was the question of how to go about obtaining human blood for survival - who would ever willingly go along with it?_

_Lucius's voice broke through his preoccupation. "Are we the only ones like this?"_

_"Immortals who survive on blood? Thus far, yes. Though I asked our friend to give us a way to transform others if we so choose."_

_His eyes softened and the others knew immediately who he was thinking of._

_Tatia._

"Tatia?" Elena's eyes were slightly wide as she repeated the name.

Elijah nodded, his vision focused on the road as it had been all while recounting the story to her. "Yes. Klaus's wife. He loved her deeply and he didn't want to spend eternity without her. You are her descendant. Their descendant."

His eyes met hers, and there was an expression there that she couldn't completely read, the same subtle one she always saw when he looked at her. It reminded her of nostalgia or regret, and it made her feel a tiny bit bad for him, because she imagined he'd been carrying it around with him for centuries.

But he was continuing. "Katerina looks identical to her, but _you_ are her exact replica, Elena. In both personality and appearance."

She knew her mouth was hanging open, but she was stunned. There was another before Katherine? A sort-of Original?

"That's a compliment, you know." Elijah smirked, and she gave a weak smile in return, still bowled over by his revelation. "She was warm and compassionate, unlike the other doppelganger."

She nodded, despite the unease in the pit of her stomach. It was nice to know her entire bloodline wasn't crazy, but it left her feeling unsettled to be so closely interconnected to a history that spanned back so far. She had the vague feeling that there was a reason he didn't continue, a sign that she _really_ didn't want to know the rest. But she couldn't leave it alone. Not when the puzzle was so close to being solved. She had to ask him.

"What happened to her?"

Elijah sighed and his expression grew heavy. She felt her heart travel to her throat at his answer.

"The betrayal that sent Klaus into complete madness."


	12. Chapter 12

Damon glanced at the address he'd typed into his GPS and studied the mailbox again.

"This can't be right," he muttered to himself.

But after checking and re-checking, this was the place- as erroneous as it might seem upon first appearance. Damon wondered what Elijah wanted with it, or how he had ever happened upon it for that matter. The old cedar shingled house wasn't decrepit. It was just ordinary bordering on plain, with overgrown flowering shrubs nearly concealing the entrance. It didn't fit the sophisticated air emanating from the elder vampire.

But this was where he was compelled to be, the pit stop on this journey that he didn't even understand. And the sooner this encounter was over, the sooner he could return to Mystic Falls - where Elena would hopefully be, safely and in one piece. He swallowed hard, forcing any other images from his mind.

_She will be fine, _he told himself as he walked up the stone path. And he could hear Elijah telling him the same. Damon only hoped he was a man of his word. He knocked at the door, normally at first. But after a couple of minutes of no response, he began to pound impatiently.

"Hello? Anybody home?" he hollered.

The door creaked and he stopped, wearing an irritated expression. But it faded when huge blue-green eyes met his. A petite young woman opened the door fully, her wavy auburn tinted hair falling past her shoulders. She was dressed casually, in a black button down blouse and skinny jeans. The corners of her mouth raised slightly.

"You must be Damon. Come in."

She turned back into the house, expecting him to follow. He groaned inwardly - the last thing he wanted to do was get caught up _here_ when he wanted to be _there_.

"You're not very cautious, are you?" he remarked as surveyed the interior, pulling the top from a coffer on the foyer table to inspect its contents. Suddenly he felt the metal lid burning into his hand and he dropped it with a hiss.

"And you're pretty nosy," she commented under her breath. Their eyes locked when the realization zipped through him like an electric shock. And she knew that he knew. Elijah was interested because she was a witch.

Her pout faded into a shy smile, a blush settling over the tops of her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that I'm very protective of my stuff. There's a lot in here that can cause chaos if it's disrupted."

He only nodded, her apologetic nature refreshing after dealing with her judgy alter ego back home. He followed leisurely as she headed through a pair of french doors into the parlor, looking but not touching. It was eclectic, to say the least. A mish mosh of different styles and eras, abookcase overflowing - pop lit paperbacks tucked alongside vintage leather-bound volumes and journals. It reminded him of an antique shop, if only barely more organized.

He sank into an armchair across from the sofa where she had a bag she was filling with books. "So you know who I am. And I know _what_ you are. But I don't know _who_ you are."

"My name is Cassandra Blake," she answered, her back turned. "But you can call me Cassie."

He ran her name through the filters of his mind but came up blank. He hadn't heard of her or passed through her circles before. Not surprising since he didn't frequent this area often, and because she was young - maybe twenty-four or twenty-five at the oldest. But if Elijah had an interest in her, there had to be something extraordinary about her.

"Okay, Cassie. Do you live here alone?" he asked conversationally, turning his attention back to the interior. He couldn't get over the feeling that a lot of it was much older than vintage, older even than the antiques in the boardinghouse. He wondered if Elijah had done more than just passed through the witch's door.

She glanced up, a wistful smile on her face. "Yeah. It's a weird space for someone my age, huh?"

"Well, not exactly what a guy would expect if you took him home." He smirked and Cassie laughed, though he still detected a nostalgic note there.

"Probably because it was my grandmother's house - she died four years ago and left it to me." Cassie shrugged again as she sat back on her knees and looked around. "It never felt right to get rid of her things. A lot of it was passed down through the generations. That's why it's so hodge-podge."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense," he answered, waiting for her to continue, maybe to give him a hint about where Elijah fit into this equation. But she didn't, instead remaining focused on sorting through the last odds and ends. He wondered what all she was packing, and what all was to be done with it.

Cassie stood up and smiled, slinging the smaller of the two bags over her shoulder. "Alright, I'm all set. Are we ready to go?"

"What?" He narrowed his eyebrows, surveying the bag of books - her family's grimoires, he assumed. "I thought you just had something to hand over, and then I'd be on my merry way."

"Oh, no," she laughed. "I guess Elijah didn't tell you that part."

"No, he _conveniently_ left it out. I can't believe this."

Damon threw his arms up and began pacing, a scowl marring his face. He didn't want to be responsible for another person on this trip. He was already on edge enough as it was! He justneeded to get back to Elena, without any further distractions. And if it wasn't for that damn compulsion, he would have walked out of the house without a second glance.

Cassie could sense his irritation, and he felt guilty when he met her wide eyes again. There was something about her, an inherent innocence or genuine goodness reflecting there that almost made him feel like he should apologize for being rude. Maybe it was that part of her that reminded him of Elena, that wholesomeness, something there that made him want to protect her. That reminded him that none of this was her fault - she'd done nothing to warrant his temper.

He didn't realize he was holding his breath and waiting for her reaction until she smiled sympathetically. He almost smiled back in relief - she _understood_. He didn't have to worry that she would hold his snarkiness against him - at least not this time. But he knew he needed to watch his step - he couldn't expect to always be forgiven so easily in the future.

"Okay, well," she began. "I'm coming to Mystic Falls with you, because you need me - andElijah - to save Elena."

His mouth hung open in speechless shock as he racked his brain for a reply, but no words came out. How did she know about Elena? And why did they need so much help against Katherine? What was going on?

He finally managed to reign his reeling thoughts into coherent questions as to how any of this puzzle fit together. But he couldn't even ask because Cassie was already outside loading up his car.

"Okay, then," he sighed, picking up the bag of books and following her. He'd just have to settle for questioning her on the way back to Mystic Falls.

* * *

Elijah expertly guided his Jaguar back onto the highway as they left the rest area. Elena opened her water bottle and set it in the cupholder between them. He hadn't continued the story earlier because they were headed into some tenuous driving around NYC that needed his concentration. But now it was miles and miles of country highway ahead of them, and she remained curious.

"So, who betrayed Klaus?" Elena asked quietly.

Hearing about him left her unsettled, as she wondered how Tatia could have been in love with such a brutal man. How, if her ancestor was so much like her? Elena couldn't see how she could accept his cruel side, regardless of how loving Klaus was toward her.

Or could she? Damon had a sordid past, though she didn't know the gruesome details. Yet she loved him. It was the familiar refrain: he was different around her. Her heart ached at how much he had changed for her - because of her.

She glanced at Elijah, who seemed lost in his own tormented thoughts. They were plainly visible on his normally reserved face. He absently ran a finger back and forth over his mouth.

"Lucius," he answered. "It was Lucius who betrayed Klaus. Long after we thought the shaman was dead, we were surprised to receive a summons to his home..."

_It was dark when Elijah reached the grand Egyptian estate, where he was sure to be greeted by the family of the late shaman-turned-governor. The invitation was unusual and unexpected. He fought against the suspicions whispering within his gut. After all, there was no creature more powerful than him - thus far he'd been invincible. Even if they did have ill intentions, he didn't need to worry. Not even magic could stop him - something he learned early on when he was wrangling with his bloodlust._

_Back in those days, there was a stunning witch who had caught his eye. She invited him to her bed, but when he came at her with fangs bared, she tried to ward him off - unsuccessfully. The psychic attack left him enraged and she ended up a casualty. He was horrified at his actions when he recovered - he had nearly torn her to shreds, her body unrecognizable against her now-crimson sheets. She had never stood a chance._

_Guilt shuddered through him at the recollection - he didn't often allow himself to think of these past indiscretions. He managed to push them out of his mind, to make himself remember how far he'd come. He maintained respect for the human race, only killing when it was warranted, keeping the rage that always threatened to burst forth tightly under wraps. And he knew Lucius followed the same code of ethics, perhaps more stringently than Elijah._

_And then there was Tatia, the purest of them all. She turned willingly, to stay by Klaus's side, but there was always an air of regret and sadness about her. She never murdered again beyond her first sacrifice. It was as if she wasn't afflicted with the bloodlust the men felt. Feeding was a necessary sin for survival, but she never seemed to enjoy it. She was the fanged angel to their flawed demons. And she had her own following of struggling vampires, those who wanted to emulate her after their residual human consciences left them regretting their turned nature._

_But Klaus was her polar opposite in every way, a fact that left Elijah wondering how such a kind soul as Tatia could be drawn to a complete monster. In the last century and a half since their rebirth, Klaus had murdered over a country's worth of citizens and turned at least half that. He was a walking nightmare, and while humans now knew of the existence of vampires, they didn't dare rise up for fear of retaliation by the blonde Original and his band of rogues._

_Elijah sensed a presence behind him and turned to see the demon himself. Klaus's mouth widened in a grin that looked more sadistic than friendly._

_"Elijah," he greeted. "It's been years - though it only seems like yesterday. A blink of an eye in our lifetime. How have you been? Where have you been?"_

_Klaus's fingers bit into his shoulder in a display of strength. He was well fed, to say the least. Thousands of souls underneath his skin._

_But Elijah didn't grimace. "I'm well," he replied. "And I've been laying low. Keeping up our end of the deal."_

_He raised an eyebrow and he saw a wave of rage roll across Klaus's face. But his expression quickly smoothed over, and he laughed. A cruel, bone-chilling laugh - one that could stop a person's heart, if it were still beating._

_"Ah, Elijah - still so pious, even with that demon blood running through your veins. Do you really think there's anything to worry about at this point? That old windbag is long dead, God rest his soul." He bowed his head in a faux display of paying his respects._

_"And you don't think it's odd we were summoned here now, by his family? You think he can't reach us from beyond the grave? I'm sure he's well aware of all our activities since we became... this." Elijah's arms were spread wide, an indication of their undead nature._

_Klaus's face contorted into a scowl as they approached the door and he loudly knocked. "Am I supposed to be remorseful? Scared? Well, I'm not. There isn't anything that frightens me anymore."_

_They stood silently next to each other and Elijah didn't miss how they avoided the topic of Tatia. He wondered briefly where she was, why she wasn't with them since she was very nearly an Original herself. But he was broken out of his thoughts as the door slowly opened. A young man and woman stood side by side, almost identical despite the differing hair length and body structures. Both were beautiful, with eyes that beheld Power. Very much like the eyes of the shaman. Elijah knew that these must be his great grandchildren._

_"Come in," they said in unison, the girl using a seductive smile to ensnare Klaus's attention. He let out a low chuckle as he followed her into the home. Elijah hesitated, warning bells sounding in his mind._

_But he finally followed as well, down a long hallway lined with opulent textiles and grand artwork. The aristocratic life clearly had been good to the shaman's family, and Elijah had the first glimmer of understanding of Klaus's own hedonistic and bloodthirsty lifestyle. The shaman's family had prospered so greatly after the arrangement, why not take advantage of the situation and enjoy the vampire nature to its fullest? It was only fair that both sides should benefit, and that meant giving in to the murderous cravings of blood._

_Not that Elijah could let himself go so far off the handle - he still retained too much of his moral compass. But someone like Klaus, who already thrived on violence as a human - well, with the vampire magnification quotient, it wouldn't take much coercion to give in._

_"Follow us," the girl beckoned as she started down a steep staircase._

_Klaus was second in line, followed by Elijah. The shaman's great-grandson was last to descend. As they headed into the home's lower-level, both vampires stopped, stunned at what was before them._

_Tatia laid upon an muslin-draped altar and candles burned all around to light the space. She was completely still, paralyzed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. And Lucius was on the floor, his eyes the only animated part of his prone form. His eyes were telling them to run._

_But by the time the danger of the scene registered with the remaining Originals, it was already too late. The woman and man had each worked quickly and stabbed them with a substance that burned through their bodies, leaving them to fall to the floor in extreme agony. They couldn't fight back as they were dragged into a line, lying side-by-side with Lucius, their view forced upon the altar where Tatia was. They couldn't look away. Elijah couldn't even find the strength to close his eyes. That was when the shaman appeared._

_Klaus attempted to shout out, but it came out as a gasping groan. It seemed impossible that the elderly man could still exist all this time later, but he did. He was extremely old, having nearly double the usual human lifetime, and it showed in the wrinkling of his face and the coarseness of his long hair and beard. He wore a white robe and an expression of remorse. The shaman took Tatia's hand and squeezed it, and that was when Elijah noticed the tears tracing down her beautiful face._

_"I know you thought me long dead," the shaman began, smiling wryly. "But I merely stepped down into anonymity, so as not to bring shame or suspicion on my family due to my unnaturally long life. I'm nearing the end of my days, and I've seen the repercussions of my actions. The wrongs that I must right."_

_His great-grandchildren took care to hand him a large dagger and a pointed wooden stake before stepping off to the sides again. He turned back to the Originals, looking them each in the eye as he spoke._

_"I'm sorry it had to come to this, my children. But there has been too much chaos and reckless murder since I gave you eternal life. You haven't been living by the rules set forth, and for that I fear the time has come for the earth to be free of your terror."_

_The blade drew across Tatia's wrists and throat, and he took care to collect her draining lifeforce into a wooden bowl. Elijah sensed the turbulent psychic frenzy that stormed below Klaus's immobile surface as he witnessed the death of his beloved. He felt similarly horrified, knowing that Yeva led a more honest life than anyone he knew. If anyone should have been murdered, it was Klaus. And the blonde man knew it, too. Instead, Yeva suffered for him._

_"I cannot destroy all of the vampires that have been created by you," the shaman continued as the flow of the red liquid began to slow. "But I can place a curse on the original spell to protect human civilization. The jackal-men that the humans also fear will become the vampire's mortal enemies, transforming only during the full moon, destined to seek out your kind. And vampires will be cursed to burn in a fiery death by the sun, only able to come out at night, when the humansleeps safely in their homes, the homes that will become off-limits to your race, only accessible when you've been invited inside."_

_Elijah's mind raced as he watched the shaman plunge a stake into her chest, directly where her heart was, and as her body faded to ash, Klaus screamed. It was the singularly most heartwrenching sound he had ever heard, and he knew it was a sound that would haunt his soul forever._

_The shaman gathered her ash and mixed it with the blood using the stake while he chanted. After a few minutes, he reached into the bowl and pulled out a cloudy white stone, holding it in each of their faces._

_"Her purity," he said. "She was the most pure, and she was the one who had to die to save humankind from you and your damned children."_

_He motioned to his great grandchildren, whispering, "More vervain."_

_After another jab, the burning sensation overloaded Elijah's senses and the world went blank._

"But the vervain didn't kill us," Elijah explained. "The shaman thought it was more powerful than it really was. Not that his family hadn't already spread the word of his work through the villages before he summoned us, and now most humans in that area were hiding away wooden stakes and vervain to protect themselves. But he thought we would die. He was shocked when Klaus appeared in his room that night and killed him and the rest of his family."

"Klaus must have been furious." Elena shuddered at the mental image of an already deranged vampire further enraged.

"And heartbroken," he added. She didn't miss the regret in his voice. "I think we both were. But more than that, I was terrified. I watched Klaus murder Lucius after he admitted he had brought Tatia to the shaman. He said he didn't know that she was going to be killed, but Klaus didn't believe him. And truthfully, I wasn't so sure either - he had told me numerous times that he thought Klaus must be stopped at all costs. How could I be sure he didn't use Tatia to that end?"

"You couldn't be," she agreed. "But how do Katherine and I look like her? How can we be their descendants if she died?"

"Because she had a child before she ever turned." Elijah's eyes met hers with a sad smile. "Klaus didn't find out until many years later, but she hid their infant when he returned home to turn her. He had never even met their child."

Elena's mouth gaped in shock. "How could she do that?"

He shrugged. "She sent the child away with some of her maids, to be raised in a human family. She was distraught to leave her daughter behind but she knew that she loved Klaus and she couldn't be without him."

"I can't believe she would give up her child for him," she said softly.

"He's a very magnetic force, Elena. Extremely charismatic, even without compulsion. And she was the center of his world. Their love was very powerful, possibly even more powerful than the bond she had with her child."

"I guess," she answered weakly.

"It's hard to understand unless you witnessed it."

He smiled but Elena got the impression that he didn't completely understand Yeva's dedication either. She didn't get a chance to call him out before he continued.

"After she died, he went on for years with his only two reminders of her - the moonstone amulet created from her blood and ash, and a lock of her hair that he'd carried before the both turned. He eventually came across a powerful priestess who turned out to be a descendant of the shaman. She fell in love with him, despite the fact that he was still in love with and grieving for his dead wife. But I do think he cared a great deal for this girl as he spent years with her, and she was the first to create daywalking rings from lapis lazuli. She also placed the doppelgänger clause onto their bloodline and the curse."

Elena felt her mouth go dry. "The doppelgänger clause?"

He nodded. "The way to break the curse, by sacrificing the doppelgänger so her body could be used as a vessel for Tatia's soul. Katerina was the original doppelgänger, I found her when she was pregnant. But she was a bit too young for the sacrifice at that point, so I compelled her to find Klaus in London once she turned eighteen."

"But she's a vampire now." Elena's eyebrows knit together. "The curse still stands..."

"Yes, she escaped once she found out about the sacrifice. And then she turned herself for good measure. Klaus never forgave me for her escape - one of the men I'd entrusted her to let her get away. Klaus and I parted ways at that point, after a particularly heated row, and honestly I was relieved. I'd long grown tired of his games and mercurial manner. He was as vicious and cruel as ever, after being so close to having Tatia back."

Elijah paused to study her reaction. She trembled as she thought more about Katherine and Tatia, and their identical appearances. All of the pieces fell together in her mind: she was meant to be the next sacrifice.

"Does Klaus know about me?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper, her eyes wide.

Elijah shook his head furiously, already knowing the direction her thoughts were taking. "No, and he won't until the time is right. Elena, I have no plans of letting you be the sacrifice. But you and your bloodline will never be free of this curse unless he's gone."

"There will be more?"

"If there's no sacrifice. That was part of the clause, that a doppelgänger will appear every so often until the curse is broken." He reached out and rubbed her shoulder, sensing her emotions were building into a frenzy and trying to temper the emotional storm before it began.

"Then why did Stefan tell me that Katherine was after me? He said if she killed me, she wouldn't be a vampire anymore, but would remain immortal."

"That was the work of Emily Bennett, done at Katerina's request. But not solely for the reasons you think."

Tears started to run down her cheeks. It was all too overwhelming. In a matter of a few months she had gone from being a normal high school girl to a sacrifice at the center of multiple ancient supernatural curses and spells with one of the oldest vampires of all time after her. Elijah's hand fell back to the console and he handed her some tissues.

"Thanks," she sniffled.

He nodded again before speaking. "She's a very powerful vampire, you know. Not as strong as an Original, but stronger than her years because she is their descendant first and foremost.. And the vampires she's sired are also among the strongest, so long as they follow a normal diet."

He glanced at her and she felt a pang in her stomach at the meaning. "Stefan's not as strong because of the animal blood."

Elijah shook his head, confirming her observation. "But despite her strength, Katerina couldn't overthrow Klaus, because as an Original he - _we_ - are virtually indestructible. That is where you and Emily's magic come into play."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed and frustrated by how entangled she was in all of this mess of history. "And what exactly did Emily do? Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not, but you need to know, Elena. You need to know because this knowledge is what is going to save you. I've kept close tabs since Katerina escaped the curse, because I don't want the sacrifice to happen. And only Klaus or I can carry it out. If Klaus is no longer a threat, you will be safe."

"But why do you care?" she asked in a thick voice. "Why does my insignificant human existence matter? Why not just break the curse and be done with it?"

"Because everything is as it's _meant to be_. Vampires will continue to exist, but in a controlled fashion. And you don't need to die to absolve Klaus of his punishment for his cruelty and recklessness." His eyes locked with hers. "I promise that you aren't going to die. I won't let you, nor would Stefan or Damon. That much I am certain of. You will be safe."

"Alright," she answered quietly, nodding to herself.

She took a sip of her drink to help clear her throat and settle her stomach. She didn't say anything for a few moments, and Elijah was content to let her sit in silence until she was ready to hear the rest. Once she was confident she'd processed it all to the best of her ability, she asked, "What role do I play in Katherine's plan, then?"

"If she drains you, she will become an immortal who is free of the vampire curse, as will those she's turned who still survive. As in, Damon and Stefan, and a handful of others who were in the tomb in your town. But when her blood combines with yours, she will finally be powerful enough to kill Klaus without any special weaponry."

A key point stuck out from his statement that she decided she also needed to know if she had to worry about Klaus.

"So you aren't indestructible," she noted.

He caught on quickly, his eyebrow quirked in her direction. "Almost, but no. Our powers have multiplied and strengthened over time to the point that we are resilient to most anything. But every creature on this planet can perish. It's just that our Achilles' heel is much more rare than that which could kill the average vampire."

"Which you won't divulge to me, I'm sure."

He smirked. "No, Miss Gilbert, even _you_ are not privy to that information. I'd have to watch my back if I ever got on your bad side."

She chuckled despite her mood, and he smiled, resting his hand over hers.

"It _will_ be okay, Elena. You just have to trust me. Do you think you can do that?"

The playfulness faded from him eyes, seriousness taking its place as he stared at her intently. She took a moment to consider everything she knew of him. And what she saw was a man who honored his word. If he said he was going to protect her, then she knew that was what he intended to do. She nodded solemnly, watching the anxious tension leave his form.

"Yes, Elijah, I can," she said finally, her voice strong with conviction. "I will trust you."


	13. Chapter 13

"So. About Elijah."

"Yes?" Cassie's eyes were focused on the scenery outside the window, but Damon couldn't ignore the pink tinge settling over her skin at the mention of the vampire's name. In fact, he couldn't ignore that this young witch blushed a _lot_. And it was more distracting than usual, considering that he hadn't fed since yesterday morning's tryst with Elena. He felt his vessels pulsating with parched hunger.

"Don't you have any... blood bags?" she asked quietly, jarring his focus from the network of veins criss-crossing below her porcelain skin.

"What?" He cleared his throat.

"I know you're hungry."

"Are you a mindreader too?"

"Even if I wasn't, the way you're looking at me would make it obvious."

"Well, if you would stop with all that _blushing_- it's like a goddamn flashing neon fast food sign!"

He slammed his hands down on the steering wheel, eyes now glued to the highway in front of him. Except that he could still smell all of that heated blood rising to her surface, its aroma trailing from her pores straight into his nose. She had to be beet red in embarrassment by now, but he wasn't about to look and risk his self control. Why didn't Elijah compel him against that?How did he ever stand it?

"I'm sorry," she offered softly.

She rustled next to him, unbuckling her seat belt and leaning into the back. She huffed out the breath she'd been holding when she settled back into her seat, blowing stray hairs from her eyes.

"Here."

His eyebrow arched in disbelief at what she held out to him. He snatched it away. "Where did you get this?"

She shrugged as he sipped at the bloodbag, his eyes closing briefly at the welcome sustenance. "Usually Elijah can't stand it. So, I make sure he's well stocked when he comes to visit. I can't feed him all the time."

His head started spinning. "Wait, wait, wait - you _can_ read my mind? And you and Elijah _are_...?" His sentence ended in a groan as he racked his brain for a delicate way to describe the familiar status of the witch and the vampire, but Cassie interrupted him before he could finish.

"Yes. We are. And yes, I can read minds. Not everyone's," she clarified. "Yours. Elijah had me connect to you to find Elena when she wasn't in Mystic Falls."

"Ohhh," he drawled as he contemplated this information before wincing slightly in disgust. "I'm not sure I like you poking around in the dark corners of my memories. This better not be a permanent situation-"

"No, no, it's not." She was quick to reassure him, a comforting smile gracing her now-blush-free countenance. "Only until Elena is saved."

"From Katherine?"

"Among others."

"Others?" He nearly spat out the blood in his mouth but managed to choke it down rather than making a mess. "What do you mean, _others_? I've gone along with this farce so far, but if there's other people after Elena and no one has told me..." His jaw clenched as he gripped Cassie's forearm across the seat and she let out a surprised whimper. "I think it is about time you're straight with me, Miss Blake. What is it exactly that you and Elijah are up to?"

"Damon- okay, okay!" she exclaimed before drawing in a deep breath. "Please, you need to calm down. Let go of my arm."

Their eyes locked and he studied her for a long moment before reluctantly loosening his grip. There wasn't any deceit that he could read in her gaze, but he wasn't positive that she wasn't successfully fooling him. She was a witch, after all. None of the ones he'd encountered previously had proven to be trustworthy. But this one...

"Tell me."

"Okay," she breathed, trying to keep her voice steady. He'd rattled her despite her view into his thoughts. But he wasn't sorry. He didn't like Elijah having the complete upper hand in this scenario.

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently, waiting for her to continue. He wondered if she was about to pull out one of those brain aneurysms that Bonnie was so fond of back home.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Damon." She fixed him with a reproachful frown, which he matched with a silent scowl. "You have every right to be upset, but there was no other way to go about this. You and Stefan wouldn't have gone along with it, or let us help you save her-"

"Does Stefan know any of this? He seems to be fond of keeping secrets." He frowned again at the thought of his brother hiding Katherine's plot.

"No, he knows nothing. But she's in much more danger than any of you imagined." Cassie's hand was on his arm and she drew a deep sigh, as if bracing herself. And when she began to speak, he realized why - his stomach plummeted through the floor.

"You have to trust us, Damon, if you want Elena to live beyond this week."

* * *

Elena woke as the last rays of daylight settled over the forest. They were on a gravelly road and she could hear stones skipping out from beneath the car's tires as it ambled along.

"Where are we?" she asked with a stretch, and a smirk tugged at the corners of Elijah's mouth.

"You don't recognize your hometown?"

She paused to look around the forest, searching for a familiar landmark. She finally shook her head. "No, not this area. Whose house is that?"

An unassuming two story structure was visible on the hill above the road and she shivered involuntarily. He slowed once they had passed it, closing the car keys in her hand.

"The tomb vampires occupy this residence. It is imperative that they aren't a threat once Katerina arrives. They are after her, but once they realize you exist, they will be after _you_, Elena. Not to mention that they have plans of revenge against your beloved town."

She swallowed hard as he pressed a stake into her other hand and slid a few more next to her. "So what are we going to do?"

"_I_ am going to take care of them. _You_ are going to stay here, with the doors locked. You will not get out of this car for any reason until I come back. Do you understand?"

"But how are you going to take care of them? Kill them? There's over twenty of them in there. And then Anna and Pearl-"

"Annabel and her mother have already left town, Elena. Much to your brother's dismay." He straightened the lapels of his jacket and she heard the rustle of coins in his pocket. "They were never a concern of mine, but the rest of these delinquents... they have to die. It's too dangerous for them to continue to exist. And I can handle them, but if they see you- it will only take a second for them to use you as collateral. And we can't have that. So you must stay in the car. _Do you understand?"_ he repeated, with more emphasis.

His eyes held a glint that told her he wouldn't hesitate to compel her, similar to the threat written on Damon's face when she wanted to turn herself. Her stomach flipped at the anticipation of seeing him soon. Elijah cleared his throat, breaking into her thoughts, and she soberly nodded.

"I promise I won't leave this car."

"Good." He flashed a smile at her before he practically disappeared right in front of her eyes. She locked the doors quickly, wanting to avoid what might be lurking in the shadows. Every creak and crack had her shifting in alarm. She focused all around the perimeter, her sight straining in the dimming light.

But she wasn't expecting the crash against the windshield. Glass rained down around her and before she could open her eyes there was a hand gripping around her neck. She tried to scream, but she couldn't even breathe. Grey spots were closing into the sides of her vision and she dropped the keys and stake in favor of clawing at the iron fist blocking her air supply. _Where was Elijah?_

The fist started to pull her out of the car, and the face she saw belonged to a man with close-cropped hair and a goatee. His voice was low, gritty, as he crooned in her ear.

"What do we have here? Stefan and Damon's little human girlfriend?" His voice barely contained his amusement at her struggle. "I think this calls for some tit for tat. Your life for the one they took from me - Beth Ann."

His thumb loosened from her windpipe and she gasped in lungfuls of air. "Please," she begged hysterically. "Please, I'm so sorry... I'm sorry they killed her! I didn't know! Please don't hurt me..."

"But where is the fun in that, beautiful? I think they need to watch you suffer before I kill you all."

Elena sobbed incoherently as they started to move away from the car, until panic set in that she would have no chance of survival if they were beyond Elijah's range.

"Let me go! Elijah! _Elijah!"_

Elena screamed through her aching throat until he clamped down on her mouth, and she bit hard, drawing blood. It tasted vile but she didn't spit it out, scared of what might he might do to her, scared of dying completely. He growled at her, eyes turning black and fangs springing forth. The points looked like razor blades in the moonlight.

And then pain flooded all of her senses, nearly forcing her mind to go blank as he bit down into her flesh.

"Mmmmmmm," he moaned. "You taste _delicious,_ little girl."

Her limbs started tingling as he took mouthfuls of her blood. She couldn't feel her arms or legs to fight back. She couldn't believe it was going to end like this. _I'm sorry, Damon, _she thought weakly. But she was too tired to even cry. She closed her eyes, giving in to the oblivion.

* * *

When she woke, she felt like she was flying. She wasn't sure if she was dead and passing over... but she felt fabric against her face, and a lean-muscled chest below that. Elena opened her eyes, turning her head, and the scenery moved at such a dizzying speed that she nearly threw up. She squeezed her eyes shut again until the movement stopped. And then she looked up.

Elijah was staring at her, a trace of residual panic on his face. "Elena, I'm so sorry. That never should have happened."

She realized they were standing in an unfamiliar bathroom, decorated with beige floral wallpaper and white lace curtains, a country knickknack cabinet hanging opposite the closed toilet seat he sat her upon. She gripped the windowsill as a wave of dizziness passed. He was running cool water over a washcloth and wiped at her face and neck, avoiding her eyes.

"What happened?" she croaked around the lump in her throat. She pressed a hand to her neck in memory of the man's fangs, but found only healed skin. "He tried to kill me, and I called for you-"

"I know." He had her face in his hands, his dark eyes burning into hers and she could see the flicker of guilt. "And I heard you. But he managed to stake me to the degree that it took me a few minutes to recover. And when I found you, you were nearly dead. He _is_ dead, of course, but I had to give you some of my blood. You have to be careful."

He watched her for understanding, and when she nodded a faint smile of relief passed over his features.

"I would never let anything happen to you, Elena." He pressed a kiss against her forehead before he stood. "You must be hungry. Mrs. Gibbons is making you dinner."

"Who?"

"The homeowner. The tomb vampires had compelled her to let them stay here. But now that they're gone, I've compelled her not to let anyone in without my approval. You will be safe here, until I'm sure Katerina isn't a threat."

He was turning to head downstairs and she scrambled to her feet in a panic. She couldn't stay here. Not with everything afoot. She needed to be at the boardinghouse, so they could take down Katherine, and to be sure everyone was safe.

"But what about Damon? I'm sure he's freaking out - he needs to know I'm okay. I need to see him." She tried to push past him, but Elijah was an impenetrable barrier, his hands on her upper arms in a flash to stop her.

"You are putting everyone's lives at risk if you leave here before I deem it safe. Is that what you want?" She grimaced, closing her eyes from his intense gaze. His grip slacked some and he leaned away, his face no longer inches from hers. "I promise you will see him soon. But you promised to trust me. Have I lied to you yet?"

She retreated with a cross between a sigh and a sob. "I just - I miss him. And I didn't leave him under the best circumstances. I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to him before I saw him again."

Elijah's face softened. "He will be safe, Elena."

She nodded, giving him a weak smile. She trusted him, she did - she just worried. And she thought it was understandable, given the situation. "How much longer?" she asked.

"A day or two at most." His mouth quirked into a wry smile. "There is worse company than _me_ in the world, Elena."

She giggled despite herself at his expression. It was true. Under different circumstances, she was sure Elijah could even be fun. But the smell of fried food wafting into her nose made her stomach clench in hunger and she couldn't concentrate on much else. She realized what rough shape she was actually in. Combined with the utter exhaustion she felt, she knew she didn't have a chance in setting foot out of this house tonight. Maybe she could plead her case again tomorrow, when she was recuperated. And maybe Elijah would even have taken care of Katherine by then? She didn't want to get her hopes up too much, but he had proven to be quite efficient when it came to eliminating threats.

"Let's go downstairs," he suggested again, his eyes more relaxed and friendly than she had seen all day. He held out his arm.

"Okay," she agreed, and she linked her arm through Elijah's, following him down to the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Last chapter & this one sparked my Elejah shipping... in fact DNA started as an alternate one-shot that took place after this chapter.

* * *

"I still don't quite understand," Elena said after swallowing a bite of the mashed potatoes. "How did you know about the tomb vampires and their plans?"

They were alone in the dining room now. Mrs. Gibbons had retreated to bed. But not before Elena assured the sweet (though slightly blank) woman that her meal was satisfactory, and insisting that she do the dishes in return for the hospitality.

Elijah reclined slightly in the dining chair across from her, swirling the wine in his glass before taking another sip. "Well," he began, setting the stemware on the table. "I have some magic on my side. In my bed, as it were."

"Another witch?" Elena raised an eyebrow, both at how enraveled magic was in the supernatural world and at the relaxed way in which Elijah was speaking with her. "How do you vampires always encounter the witches?"

"Mutual need and fascination." His eyes danced before his expression turned more serious. "But we are both created from magic, Elena. We have a way of finding it. Neither race truly fits into the human world, as much as we try. We're always a bit on the outskirts. Together."

"Is she related to Bonnie?" she asked. She didn't think it was an absurd question - all the witches she knew of now were part of the Bennett bloodline.

"Who knows? Family tree branches and wiccan alliances may cross somewhere back there... their ancestry originates in the same place." He leaned forward, resting his languidly crossed arms on the table. "Her name is Cassandra. Cassandra Blake."

Elena chose to blame her nearly empty wine glass, but there was something in earlier innuendos and the way that Elijah rolled this woman's name off his tongue just now that made her blood flow straight to her cheeks and the room seem too warm. She threw back the last swig of wine like a shot and stood, collecting the dishes. She could feel Elijah's eyes watching her in amusement - she avoided his gaze but knew his body hadn't moved a millimeter despite her sudden burst of activity.

"Did you want another drink?" she found herself asking as her eyes finally met his. His mouth turned up in a half smile and her chest heaved in a deep breath while she collected herself.

"Sure," he answered simply, sliding his glass toward her, but she knew his words were heavily weighted with interest in her reaction, in what she would do next.

She resisted the urge to fan herself when she had finally escaped into the kitchen. She rinsed off the dishes, buying time to calm her racing mind. What was _wrong_ with her? Sure, he was gorgeous, foreign, sophisticated - cool charm oozed from him as naturally as the sun rose and set everyday. But he was also intensely dangerous, an Original. And he wasn't _Damon_.

Regardless of any attraction between her and Elijah, she _loved_ Damon - he was the passionate mate connected to her conflicted soul.

_Must be some sort of twisted Stockholm syndrome_, she thought to herself as she turned to grab the bottle of wine from the counter.

And he was right behind her.

"Oh, s-sorry," she stumbled, trying to look anywhere but him.

He gave a low laugh, a wide smile spreading over his face. "Relax, Elena. It's the blood."

"Blood?" she asked blankly, glancing at their glasses again.

"My blood. In your veins." He reached past her, his arm very close but not quite brushing against her side, a move that had her holding her breath until he drew back with their glasses in his hand. He turned away from her then to pour their next round of drinks. "My blood has a way of... intensifying any natural attraction between us. But don't worry," he added as he placed a full goblet in her hand. "It will wear off."

She eyed the glass of wine before taking a conservative sip, knowing full well that more alcohol would further cloud her judgement. But it was almost as if she didn't care. It was frightening the way this primal instinct betrayed her common sense, like her body was going to override her mind. She set the glass back on the counter, wrapping her arms around herself.

"And..." he continued, his eyes on her discarded glass as he traced his finger around the rim of his. "I happen to be a gentleman, Elena. I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you while we're both happily entangled with others."

A visual of their limbs intertwined flashed through her mind and she bit back on a groan.

"I think it's time for me to go to bed. Good night, Elijah," she mumbled, barely looking up lest his blood overpower her resolve. She nearly dashed to the stairwell, his voice trailing behind her.

"Good night, sweetheart. And _sweet_ dreams."

* * *

Damon switched the ignition off and looked at his watch before gently nudging Cassie. Three a.m. He glanced at the boardinghouse, trying to see which rooms had lights on.

"Cassie," he whispered, not wanting to startle her.

"Hmm?" She blinked a few times. "We're here?"

"Yup. Home, sweet home." The sarcasm in his tone made her laugh and she unlocked the door behind her to collect her bags. Then she turned to look at the house, truly, for the first time.

"Whoa. You didn't tell me it was a mansion." Her mouth still hung open slightly as they walked toward the porch.

"A boardinghouse," he corrected. "And it's alright, I guess."

She raised an eyebrow and slapped him on the shoulder when she realized he was smirking. "Seriously, though... are there boarders here now? I don't want to wake anyone up. It's late!"

He snorted. "It's only my vampire brother and possibly our psychopathic ex-girlfriend. And we're all nocturnal. Creatures of the night and all that. It'll be okay."

"Whatever you say." She stood behind him, peering over his shoulder with wide eyes as he opened the door. They entered the foyer and he looked to his left, where a blazing fire and three pairs of eyes greeted him.

"Well, well, well... hello, Katherine," Damon sneered as he approached the living room. The fire blazed behind her, silhouetting her slender curves and dark waves. The cool deadly seduction was visible from miles away - no mistaking Elena with her evil twin.

"Damon," she returned, mouth curving into a smile as she surveyed his form. "The years have been _quite_ kind to you."

"What, the years I spent pining for you? Just to realize you had lied - and chosen my younger brother?"

"Damon-" Stefan interjected, standing now at his side to keep him away from her.

"But it doesn't matter now. You can go to _hell_ for all I care, Katherine," Damon spat at her. "And you're not getting Elena. You will have to kill me first."

"That can be arranged," she returned, her eyes narrowed. "I'm older and stronger than you." Her nail sliced down his chest and drew a thin line of blood as Stefan held him back from a death match. "You should respect your elders. You wouldn't even _be_ here if it weren't for me."

"Some days I wish I wasn't," he muttered, pulling free from Stefan's grip. "Death would have been merciful compared to the century I spent waiting for you."

Her eyes flickered briefly with guilt, but cold cruelty replaced it quickly. "Then maybe I won't kill you yet. No, I'll let you suffer some more, let you watch me kill Elena so Stefan and I can become truly immortal."

She pulled Stefan into a passionate show of a kiss and Damon wanted to throttle his brother. Not because he was jealous - he wasn't, not at all. Besides, he knew Stefan was playing along at this point. He knew his brother cared far too much for Elena, that any feelings for Katherine paled in comparison.

But Stefan had a hand in creating this mess, in putting Elena in the middle. Of course it still would have happened, and that was where Damon was conflicted. After hearing Cassie's account of Elijah's history, he knew that Katherine was just waiting for Elena to come about. And maybe he should be thankful that fate brought his brother Elena's way, so they could protect her. Maybe he should be thankful that his brother had a conscience, because others would have happily handed Elena right over in exchange for what Katherine offered. Guilt began to burn in his chest when he looked at his brother again. He knew he had to forgive Stefan, once they were certain Elena was safe.

Damon met Bonnie's stunned gaze, where she was standing next to the sofa, and Cassie still waited in the doorway, quietly surveying the situation. When Katherine broke away, she finally seemed to take notice of the stranger in the room.

"Who is this?" she asked. "I thought you would've had my beautiful twin in tow."

"No," Damon answered, an edge in his voice. "Do you think I would just hand her over on a platter? I'm not stupid."

Katherine was at his throat in an instant, and he winced as his head crashed into the wall far behind him. He had no choice but to look into her veiny black eyes as her fingers bit into his neck with enough force to decapitate him.

"Listen to me, _lover," _she hissed in his ear. "You'd _better_ tell me where she is before I kill you and everyone else in this room. Do you think I don't know you and Stefan have been plotting against me? Do you think I don't know both of you have fallen in love with that weak carbon copy? I'll make you regret you ever crossed my path if you don't tell me where she is _right now."_

She slammed his head against the wall for added emphasis and he cried out in pain.

"Too late," he croaked. "I already do regret it."

Katherine snarled as she reared back to sink into his neck, but Stefan and Bonnie used both superhuman force and magic to tear her away from Damon. Stefan shot him a reproachful look for antagonizing her.

"Besides, my dear Katherine," Damon continued tighly, with his hand rubbing at his throat but no loss of arrogance as he swaggered over to the bar. "I don't know where she is. One of your henchmen came and took her away. Somebody named Elijah?"

She was on her feet, a wild look in her eyes. "What?"

"Yeah, he caught me off-guard with some vervain and left me down for the count while he dragged her off kicking and screaming. I figured he was working with you." Damon shrugged, pouring a glass of bourbon. "I was coming back with my friend Cassie here to get Bonnie and some of Elena's belongings to try to track her. You know the old adage - two witches are better than one."

"No, no, no... that's impossible. How would he know about her?" Katherine was pacing now, her composure gone. She looked up at them both. "You don't understand. He is an Original vampire, an Old One. She's the doppelganger. He's going to take her to Klaus to break the curse! You have no idea where he went?"

Damon shook his head, trying to act appropriately panicked. He could see Stefan and Bonnie's fear escalating the more that Katherine spoke. Bonnie slumped into a chair in the corner, her head dropping and her fingers on her temples in deep concentration.

"He has to end up here, though... he can't sacrifice her for the curse until he finds the witch burial ground." Katherine's mouth shut quickly as she realized she was talking aloud, revealing more information than she intended to.

"What curse, Katherine?" Stefan prodded.

"The curse of the sun and the moon. They want to break the curse so we are no longer susceptible to werewolves' bites on the full moon, so we can walk in the sun without the lapis rings." She noticed the look of confused disbelief on both vampires faces. "Do you think witches and vampires are the only mystical creatures that exist? Lycanthrope are right under your nose, boys. They have been for generations. You've never noticed the Lockwood alpha male tendencies?"

Damon had opened his mouth to comment but he was interrupted by a shrill shriek as Cassie fell to her knees, grasping at her head.

"The house near the tomb," she said breathily. "She's not safe, they're exacting their revenge meant for Katherine..."

"Who?" Stefan asked, forgetting that Katherine was there, driven by fear for Elena's safety.

"The tomb vampires," she whispered before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in a heap in the ground.

The trio rushed to seemingly unconscious witch's side to tend to her, Bonnie taking pause when she realized Katherine was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Elena rushed down the stairs, clutching the borrowed bathrobe to her body. She stumbled through the dark, taking care to be as quiet as possible to not wake the sleeping Mrs. Gibbons. She stopped in the kitchen at the back door with a gasp. A bonfire of epic proportions illuminated the side porch. Elijah's face was highlighted and emotionless as he watched the bodies of the tomb vampires disintegrate.

"There will be nothing but dust in an hour or two," he said softly to Elena through the screen barrier.

His eyes remained focused on the flames. He knew she was there without even looking. He turned to enter, now inspecting her closely.

"What's the panic? Your heart is pounding out of your chest."

"You can tell?" she asked, straightening awkwardly as he stood in front of her, a few inches away.

"It's nearly deafening," he replied, preoccupied as he stared at her and she knew that while his blood was dissipating, it wasn't completely gone from her system. "Now, that begs the question: is it because of me, or something else?"

She swallowed hard, avoiding the complicated part of the answer. "Katherine is on her way here right now. For me."

His long elegant fingers grazed along the collar of the robe, never touching her skin as he pushed it back to reveal her bra strap and the tiny pouch neatly pinned to it. The pouch containing Bonnie's telepathy crystal. He smiled as he looked into her eyes knowingly.

"Perfect."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: You may recognize the beginning of DNA in this chapter.

* * *

"Come in," the pleasant middle-aged housewife beckoned with a friendly smile.

Her face was plain, empty, and Katherine regarded her suspiciously through narrowed eyes. Something wasn't right. Either this was the wrong place, or she was being set up... but she was _so close_ to the end. Close to her freedom after centuries on the run. The thought was so alluring that she didn't feel any remorse at the prospect of destroying Elena's life in a similar fashion to how Klaus destroyed hers. She simply wanted _out,_ and unfortunately this was how it had to happen. She wasn't going to continue to run just to spare the other girl. Not to mention that her young twin had managed to wrap both Salvatore brothers even more tightly around her finger than Katherine ever did. And their allegiance to Elena irked her.

"Tell me if there is a girl here who looks like me," she compelled the woman.

"Yes...a very sweet girl."

Katherine scowled at the chosen adjective, one she knew would never be used to describe her. "And anyone else?"

"Not right now - the vampire's gone out hunting. He left her in the basement, locked up until he returns."

Katherine paused, weighing her options and freedom against her gut instinct, before accepting the initial invitation to enter. She only had to make it downstairs, to Elena, and then Elijah would have no choice but to let her go. And if the bargaining failed, all she had to do was drain Elena, and he was done. And then Klaus would be next. He would never know what hit him.

Her hand was on the doorknob to the basement when the hair on the back of her neck pricked up on end, alerting her to another's presence. She quickly whirled around, meeting Elijah's smiling face.

"Hello, Katerina," he greeted quietly.

She swallowed a gasp at seeing his face again after five hundred and nineteen years, instead taking off down the stairs with vampire speed. When she reached the dirt floor she stopped briefly, listening. But there was no live human heartbeat down here. Only the undead Elijah, waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where is she?" she snapped, whirling to face him.

"Do you really think I'd let you get to her that easily?"

Katherine sneered at hearing nearly the same phrase Damon hurled at her earlier. Elijah approached her and when she tried to speed away, he caught her arm in a vice-like grip.

"I thought you were gone hunting," she hissed out in pain. "How did you know I was in the house?"

"I compelled Mrs. Gibbons to lie," he shrugged leisurely. "You know us Originals, all these nifty tricks up our sleeves. Besides, Elena's witchy friend tipped us off. I knew once you found out where Elena was, you wouldn't be able to stop yourself." His fingers dug in further to her flesh and she grimaced. "I know all of your plans, Katerina. They're not going to happen."

"So you plan on sacrificing her yourself to get back into Klaus's good graces? Well, if you hurt me, you'll never find the moonstone." Katherine's lips drew into a smug smile, but Elijah could see the anxiety underneath.

"It's not as difficult as you anticipate to get the information I want," he said.

"Oh, really?" she challenged. "I'll _never_ tell. You'd have to kill me first. Unless, of course, we could work out a deal..." She ran her free finger down his chest suggestively, looking up at him through long dark lashes.

He chuckled, bemused by her proposition. "Ah, but what would be the fun in that?"

The faint residue of a smile remained on his lips as he stared at her intently. The onyx depths of his eyes dilated imperceptibly but she was transfixed by his gaze, unable to look away.

"Where is the moonstone, Katerina?" he asked calmly.

"Hidden with my jewelry, at Mrs. Flowers' bed and breakfast," she answered automatically, a stunned expression on her face as her mouth betrayed her.

"Very good," he smirked. "You are going to stay here, with Mrs. Gibbons. You are not going to feed from her. You are not going to try to compel her. And you will not leave this house until you have my permission."

"But what about Klaus?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

His eyebrow arched, concerned at this wrench in his plans. "Have you tried to lure him here with the promise of the doppelgänger?"

"Yes," she said with the fear rising in her eyes. He was reminded of the panicked young Bulgarian girl half a millenia ago, and Elijah silently cursed himself for ever playing into Klaus'sgames, for his hand in creating this cycle. He was surprised to feel any sympathy for Katherine, but he could understand her fear. Klaus was more frightening than being faced with Satan himself.

"He won't be able to enter," Elijah finally assured her. "Only those I've instructed Mrs Gibbons to allow inside can be invited in. You will need to make sure she doesn't leave the house. If he kills her, I can't make any guarantees."

She nodded gratefully, and he released her arm. He composed himself, shaking off any residual remorse. Regardless of the wrongs he had committed, it was still the past - it couldn't be changed. But he could protect the young woman waiting for him upstairs and ensure that history wouldn't repeat itself, that she wouldn't fall victim to Klaus and his regime. He cleared his throat.

"Elena and I will be returning to the boardinghouse now, so you are on your own." He started up the stairs but turned briefly. "Oh, and behave for Mrs. Gibbons, hmmm?"

"I will behave," Katherine answered robotically. He gave a parting smile before he was out of her presence. She rubbed at her head, dumbfounded that he could compel her. She climbed the stairs slowly, feeling as though she was in a post-hangover daze.

By the time she entered the kitchen, Elijah and Elena were already out of the house. She ran to the front door and threw it open in a futile attempt to escape. It was like hitting a brick wall - she couldn't leave.

_"Noooo!"_ she screamed, and Elena turned around. She appeared unnerved at hearing her own voice shriek, at watching the mirror-image of herself have a breakdown in the doorway. But then Elijah's hand was under her arm, and she didn't look back again as he guided her into the passenger seat.

Katherine slumped to the floor in despair, her freedom pulled right out from under her. She felt Mrs. Gibbons' comforting hand on her shoulder as they watched the Jaguar's taillights continue down the driveway in the first rays of dawn.

* * *

"She _does_ have excellent taste," Elijah remarked, opening the door. Elena followed him into the posh room Katherine had rented. He walked by the king-sized bed before throwing a glance back at her. She looked away, feeling her blood circulating at the surface of her skin.

"You're lucky I'm a man of great control, Elena," he chided. "Your blushing, combined with my blood-"

"Where did Katherine say the moonstone was?" she asked quickly, cutting him off. It didn't stop the butterflies in the pit of her stomach as she imagined him feeding from her, or what that act would inevitably lead to.

He smirked, as though he could read her mind. But thankfully, he chose to answer her question rather than challenging her body language. "The jewelery box."

She moved to the bathroom while he opened the closet, and there it was on the vanity. A beautifully carved mahogany box lined in ruby velvet, with Katherine's monogram etched into the mirror inside. The large milky stone laid there among her rings and necklaces and Elena felt a tingling as she took it in her hand, almost like static electricity.

"It's your connection to Tatia."

Elijah was behind her, inspecting the stone over her shoulder before meeting her curious gaze. Elena glanced back down to the stone. It had taken on a subtle glow in her palm.

"The stone recognizes you as her human incarnation."

He allowed her to admire its power for a few more minutes before he held out his hand expectantly. She hesitated. It was as though it belonged with her, as if there was a magnetic pull between her and the gem. But she finally handed it over, and it dimmed significantly once it was in Elijah's possession. She watched him slip it inside his jacket. He smoothed out his suit before a hint of amusement played in his eyes.

"What do you say," he began in a low drawl, resting his hands on her upper arms, "that we head over to the boardinghouse now? I think we each have significant others who would be overjoyed to see us. And I know you've been missing a certain someone." He smiled as he watched her eyes light up.

"Really?" she asked, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Really. We're finished here." He gestured to the doorway. "After you."

Elena grinned. "Thank you," she breathed, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. He was momentarily stunned by her reaction but she could hear him chuckling behind her as she hurried out the door.

* * *

Both brothers' ears perked at the sound of a car stopping in the driveway. Damon took his place near the door, stealthily waiting for who it might be. He didn't trust that Klaus wouldn't be knocking down the door soon.

But it was Elena who burst through, sending the door crashing into the wall when she saw Damon standing there. She was in his arms before he had a chance to react. He closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent of her hair, of her. He felt the tension of the last twenty-four hours dissolving away just by finally having her physically here with him.

"I missed you," she murmured against his neck and he felt his chest swell. "I love you, Damon."

She pulled away slightly so she could take in his beautiful features, and his throat tightened at her watery smile.

"I love you too," he answered in a husky whisper before his mouth descended on hers. That familiar electricity passed between them and it was all he could do to not whisk her upstairs and never let her leave. But he kept the kiss relatively short and chaste despite the ache in his gums and the pit of his stomach. He knew his brother and the judgey one were looking on. His eyes met Stefan's as they separated, a conflicted expression on his brother's face. A pang of guilt echoed through Damon's stomach. He knew Elena witnessed it as well from the sheepish look she now wore. She had opened her mouth to address her ex-lover when the door opened again.

"I kept her safe, just as I promised," Elijah remarked, brushing past the couple. His eyebrow quirked in Damon's direction. "You weren't sure you could trust me, I know. Hopefully now you see that you can. I assume that Cassandra filled you in?"

Damon followed him into the living room, with Elena trailing close behind. "Well, it's not like I had much of a choice in letting you _kidnap_ Elena right in front of me, what with the compulsion and all. But your girlfriend was finally kind enough to break that."

Elijah smirked at Damon as he wrapped his arm around Cassie's waist. "It served its purpose. "

"You're lucky nothing happened to her," Damon countered.

"You wouldn't have been able to trap Katerina or take down the tomb vampires so efficiently," Elijah replied simply, his tone reflecting his exasperation. "She was kept safe. Does it really matter with who?"

"Are you insinuating that I wouldn't be able to protect her?" Damon's eyes flared and Elijah shifted forward, his stance subtly changing to a more defensive one. Elena placed a hand on his shoulder and she noticed that Cassandra's form stiffened slightly in reaction to the tension in the room.

"Damon." Elena rubbed his arm until he finally broke the staring match with Elijah to look down at her. "It's okay," she insisted quietly. "Elijah had a plan to protect me. Katherine's not a threat anymore. The tomb vampires are dead. You need to trust him. We can't all be fighting when Klaus comes for me."

"And he will be coming, likely sooner than any of us anticipated." Elijah frowned. "Katerina was trying to lure him here with the rumors of a new doppelgänger."

"Was it really Katherine who tipped him off, or was it you?" Damon's eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"As Cassandra has already told you, I have no desire for the curse to be broken-"

"Yeah, yeah, so we've been enlightened. You have _no_ desire for vampires to be able to run free in the sun or to enter any home uninvited. But why not? You're an Original. You were going to help Klaus break it at one point. You can't tell me you truly care for humans - Cassie aside, of course."

Elijah sighed at the verbal jab, and Damon crossed his arms, the hint of a smug smile on his face. The pressure in the room was so thick that it was suffocating, and the others watched for his answer.

Cassie and Elena, who trusted Elijah completely, both waited for him to simply debunk Damon's theory - to insist that _yes,_ he did in fact care for the human race to some degree. But Stefan and Bonnie both appeared to be firmly in Damon's camp from their vantage point on the sofa. They suspected that Elijah had brainwashed the girls, that he clearly had an ulterior motive to steal Elena away as the sacrifice. And seeing as he was an Original, there would be nothing they could do to stop him.

Elena and Damon stood side by side but not touching, as she was clearly annoyed with his stubborn accusation against the man she considered an ally.

"Tell him, Elijah," she insisted. "Tell him he's wrong."

Damon glanced at her, groaning at her naïveté and earning a glare from her. "Notice he's not denying it, Elena."

"No, you are wrong, Damon," Elijah said quietly.

He settled onto the opposite sofa from Stefan and Bonnie, a tumbler of scotch in his hand. He stared ahead, focused on nothing, obviously caught up in the history in his mind, as he continued.

"But my ultimate reason to keep the curse intact and to keep Elena safe - well, I've never told anyone before. I haven't had to. My other reasons were enough for people to trust me." His eyes met Damon's pointedly, and the blue-eyed vampire shifted uncomfortably, sensing he'd unintentionally struck a raw nerve. "But if you must know..."

He was quiet for several minutes, punctuating his explanation with deep swigs of alcohol. Cassie had moved to sit next to him and her hand rested on his arm supportively, though the concern in her eyes showed the others that it was obviously news to her as well.

"What is it, Elijah? What is the reason?" Elena finally asked in a hushed tone, unable to stand the suspense any longer. After everything he had divulged to her, she knew this had to be serious. It was as if the walls were closing in and they were the only two in the room when he finally looked up.

"Tatia and I had an affair, Elena. It lasted many years after we had both turned. I was in love with her," he answered, and her breath caught in her throat. "And because I loved her, I can't go through with the sacrifice."

Elijah was staring at her so intensely that she felt he was looking straight into her soul, as though she was Tatia before him. He stood in front of her now, her hands resting in his. The rest came out in a whisper, as if it were a secret between only the two of them.

"I can't let Klaus overturn her last wish."


	16. Chapter 16

"And what was her last wish?"

Elena's voice trembled at Elijah's proximity and that their joined hands felt as though they could spontaneously combust despite his cool body temperature. She hoped Damon couldn't sense what was going on in her head - it was bad enough he could hear her racing, thunderous heartbeat. She couldn't even look at him right now.

"Tatia set up the sacrifice with the shaman. I didn't know when I tried to help Klaus get Katerina," Elijah answered softly. There was a faraway look in his eyes, tinged with pain. "I only wanted her back at that point. I had given her an ultimatum before she died - to be with me or to stay with Klaus. She refused to make a decision and instead withdrew from both of us. Klaus didn't know why - he thought they were just going through one of their spats and so he gave her space. He knew nothing of our affair. But I knew she was frightened of his wrath if he ever found out. She loved me but that was the main factor in keeping her from being mine. I had even offered to murder him, but she begged me not to, even though we all knew he was out of control. Instead she visited the shaman with Lucius, the only neutral one of us three."

He shook his head, releasing her from his grip and heading back to the bar. Elena finally dared a glance at Damon from her periphery. His arms were crossed, and he appeared mildly perturbed at the mutual fondness between the Original and his girlfriend. But there was also concern, and perhaps a hint of sympathy - similar to the look reflected in Stefan's eyes. The Petrova bloodline seemed to have a penchant for tangled romantic webs as well, and she knew the brothers were thinking of both Katherine and her.

It was ironic that Katherine's interference saved her current situation from being a complete love triangle. But she couldn't help the pang of wistfulness she had whenever she saw Stefan. Not so much for the fact that they weren't together, because her heart swelled in a way for Damon that it never had for anyone else before or would for anyone ever again. No, it was because of the lackof resolution, the lack of closure, the deceit upon which Stefan's initial interest in her had been built. She didn't doubt that he loved her, even now, and that he would do anything to protect her. And she couldn't hate him - she knew she would eventually forgive him. But a tiny fragment of the hurt would always remain, a catch in her throat and an ache behind her eyes whenever she thought of their romance and what it turned out to be.

Elena looked away from the brothers and saw that Cassandra was standing next to Elijah now, her body leaning into his as she whispered comfort into his ear, her one hand draped across his shoulders and the other tightly joined with his. Elena was relieved to find that she felt no jealousy watching them, despite the innate attraction to the Original that troubled her so much. Elijah's words had held some truth - as the blood bond between them dissipated, so did the intensity of the feelings. And she was glad he wasn't alone - it seemed Cassandra's presence did calm him, that he did care deeply for her. It was apparent just from the way he gazed at her now. Tatia didn't leave a complete hole in his heart. He could still be happy without her.

She swallowed, not wanting to upset him again. But she knew that couldn't be the end of the story of the original Petrova. "Elijah," she said softly, and he glanced up, his eyes meeting hers knowingly.

His familiar subtle smile appeared. "Of course there's more, Detective Gilbert. I apologize." He poured himself another glass of scotch. "I'm sure you can understand that it's disconcerting to discuss all of that after not telling a soul for nearly two millenia. The secret of us died with her. And then to tell you, her complete reincarnation in both body and personality..." His voice trailed off. "But you do deserve to know. You'll be relieved to hear your ancestress wasn't selfish in her sacrifice - she was selfless."

"And how is that, exactly?" Damon interjected. "She allowed herself to be killed so she wouldn't have to deal with the mess she created with you and Klaus. It doesn't sound any more heroic than Katherine running away from Mystic Falls and pretending to be in the tomb."

His voice held barely masked pain and Stefan guiltily focused on the floor. Another spark of anger burned in the pit of Elena's stomach at how the brothers had been permanently damaged by her manipulative twin.

"She sacrificed herself to protect the human race from vampires. Something Katerina would have never done," Elijah said pointedly to the other vampires before turning his attention back to Elena. "I was obsessed with finding the next doppelganger after Katerina turned herself, and I knew she would have the same goal in mind in order to bargain for her freedom from Klaus. She also stole the moonstone from Klaus, so I needed to know where she was hiding. The mystic I used to track her is the one who told me the true story of Tatia. She had arranged everything with the shaman. She couldn't bring herself to kill Klaus, but she gave herself over for the curse to be brought about. In exchange for her life, the shaman ensured her soul would rest in eternal peace."

"Eternal peace...? Wouldn't she have had that anyway if she had died?" Elena asked, her eyes darting wildly between the vampires as the full understanding bloomed in her mind. Neither brother met her stare, and an anxious lump was forming in her throat. She looked back to Elijah, her jaw taut in determination. "Tell me."

His serious expression did nothing to ease her nerves. "The legend is that when a vampire dies, they cease to exist. They give up their eternal soul for immortal youth when they turn from being human. Tatia didn't want to simply _go out_. But she also doesn't want to be ressurected, because it means her death was in vain. She made me promise that night, through the mystic, that I wouldn't let Klaus break the curse. And I won't."

"I can't let you do this," Elena said, shaking her head, her gaze back at the Salvatores. "Weren't you going to tell me? I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if either of you died, but now knowing that your soul dies too, that there's _nothing_ left of you... it's too dangerous. Elijah and I will go to Klaus, but you can't." Her voice cracked and she stopped, staring at them both with blurred vision. She shook her head. "You can't."

"Elena," Damon began as she started up the stairs to his room. He sped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Just let me go," she whispered as she pushed against him, those misty doe eyes tearing at his heart.

His fingers lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him. "I will never let you go to him alone. Ever. So we're going to have to figure something else out."

"But he's an Original, Damon - he could murder you in a second!" The tears started to roll down her cheeks and he thumbed them away gently.

"I'm sure Elijah has a plan already. You wanted me to trust him - well, I do. Maybe not at first, but his idea of tricking Katherine did work - she had no idea that I'd been compelled or that vampire compulsion was even possible. And she thought Cassie's premonition was real. She did exactly as Elijah predicted, and now she's out of the way, and he has the moonstone." He paused, cupping her face in his hands, and he could see her doubt wavering. "You know I'm cynical and I have a hard time trusting other people's intentions. But they're obviously not amateurs, Elena. If the rest of us can agree to trust them, you need to, too. You have to promise me you won't go off on a suicide mission."

"But if you get killed -"

"It's a legend. A _legend,"_ he repeated emphatically to Elena's eye roll. "It's not like dead vampires can talk from the other side to dispute it. It probably sprouted from some old witch's tale to deter people from wanting to turn... fear of the church and God above. But it's all a myth." His eyes softened. "It doesn't matter anyway, because nothing is going to happen to me or any of us. As long as you promise to work with us. Will you, please?"

She stared at him for a few moments before she reluctantly nodded, releasing the breath she'd been holding in a slow _whoosh_.

"Yes. I promise." She ran her hands down his chest while biting at the inside of her lip to stifle a yawn. "The last few days have been so exhausting, though... I've found out so much that I never even would have imagined. I don't think I can listen to anymore right now - do you think they'll mind if I rest for a bit in your room before we start figuring out our tactics? I promise I'm not going to try anything," she added when she saw him watching her suspiciously.

"As long as we get to catch up after." Damon arched his eyebrows suggestively at her and Elena giggled despite herself.

"Oh, _fine,"_ she answered in faux reluctance and he caught her sides to tickle her slightly. She wriggled in his grip until he pulled her up to him, catching her lips with his tenderly.

"I missed you," he whispered when they separated. "Do you need anything? It's not like I have a whole wardrobe at your disposal here."

She didn't take offense at his suggestion that she would be staying at the boardinghouse until this was all over. In fact, she felt better knowing everyone would be together. Except for her aunt and brother - but that was too sticky of a scenario to even consider right now. There was no way to get them here without either a slew of questions or excessive compulsion, and she didn't want to resort to that.

"If you want to stop by my house, I would really appreciate it," she agreed. "But take Bonnie with you - she'll know what to get. And make sure Jenna and Jeremy are okay."

"I will," he replied, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. He released her from his embrace, watching as she continued up the stairs.

"It's the second door on the right," Damon called behind her.

"Thanks," she answered.

When Elena opened the door she was briefly stunned by the contrast between Damon and Stefan's rooms. But she was too tired to inspect it more beyond the large comfy four poster in the middle of the space. It was a beacon to her spent form and she contentedly curled up under the soft crimson comforter with closed eyes. Within seconds, she had surrendered to sleep.

* * *

"So you trust Elijah?" Bonnie asked, her voice almost free of hostility as she and Damon pulled up to the Gilbert house.

He shrugged, trying not to let his thoughts get ahead of him. It wasn't possible for the witch to have warmed to him this quickly, he knew, despite the fact that she was being almost _conversational_...

"Do we have many other options?" he answered.

She groaned.

"Look, like I told Elena, the guy took care of Katherine as he promised. He seems to genuinely like Elena-"

"Maybe a little too much," Bonnie muttered.

Damon snorted. "Oh, please. He's way too old for her - she'd never go for him."

"Whatever you say, Salvatore," she answered doubtfully. "You're not exactly a spring chicken, and he's got Cassie wrapped around his finger."

"Yeah, but they're an odd couple. Not that she's not, you know... _hot_, because she is. But he doesn't seem like her type."

"And you are?" Bonnie gave him a vexing look, and he braced himself for an aneurysm.

"I have no interest in her. I just merely _admired_. If you haven't noticed, I'm off the market for eternity." He did his infamous eye-thing and she chuckled derisively.

"Much to the relief of women everywhere."

"Ouch. You could be a little nicer to me, you know - I _am_ your best friend's boyfriend. I did try to keep her safe from Katherine." Damon grimaced slightly as they stood on the front porch, unsure whether to continue or to let it drop. Then he figured what the hell, it was now or never. "I'm sorry for what happened to your grandmother."

Bonnie stared at him for a long, silent moment before ringing the doorbell. He couldn't get a read on what she was thinking, and he cursed himself inside his head. Guilt still plagued him for his old deceitful actions, despite what anyone thought to the contrary. He had been so consumed with Katherine for so long - he'd done so many things that he now regretted. It was enough to knock the wind out of him if he thought of even half of them. And it was an understatement to say he was ashamed. He had strayed so far from his humanity, it was a wonder he had even begun to find his way back.

The door opened and Bonnie looked bewildered by the man standing before them. Damon narrowed his eyes as the stranger's mouth spread into a wide grin.

"Hello, Miss Bennett - Mr. Salvatore. How can I help you today?" His blue eyes twinkled and he ran a hand through his cropped wavy blonde hair.

"Who are you?" she asked tightly, backing up a bit. A vague lightbulb was going on in Damon's head, and he knew Bonnie had the same thought just by her stance.

"Oh, you don't know me? Well, here - Jenna, love, we have some visitors!"

Elena's aunt came to the door, her face smooth and unconcerned. Damon's mouth went dry when he saw the bloody bite marks on her neck, confirming his suspicions.

"Oh, God... it's Klaus," Bonnie whimpered from behind her hand.

Klaus chuckled, flashing his white fangs. "Ah, I knew it wouldn't take you long. Our smart little witch."

"Jenna, you have to come with us-"

Damon reached forward to pull her out of the house but then he felt the Original's grip on his forearm, tightening until they could hear the bones splinter.

"She's not going anywhere," Klaus answered threateningly.

"Jenna!" Damon ground out. "You and Jeremy have to leave with us _now."_

"Oh, but Jeremy's not here. Isn't that right, Jenna? He took off with his vampire lady love and her mother before I even arrived." Jenna nodded with a smile and Klaus dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "Such a shame, really, that I didn't get to meet him."

And then in a flash, Damon was sailing off of the porch, each of the stairs biting into his ribcage on the way down. From his spot on the ground, he could see Klaus smirking as his arm tightened around Jenna's waist. She leaned into him for a kiss.

"Mmmm, lovely," he crooned as they separated. "I think we're going to have to cut this visit short as I have a feeling we're end up a little indisposed. But please, tell Elijah that tomorrow is the day - the solar eclipse! I'll expect to see him at noon at the old witch burning ground, with the doppelgänger and the moonstone. And what else, my dear?"

"No funny business, or he'll kill me," she sing-songed, wagging her finger at Damon and Bonnie. Then they both laughed, and Damon felt the bile rising in his throat.

Klaus turned back inside with Jenna, his sinister chuckle reverberating through the air as he glanced at Bonnie standing paralyzed on the porch. She collapsed in a fainted heap when his gaze left her. Damon couldn't move from his spot on the ground to help her, much less to go after Jenna one last time. He could only watch the Original guide her up the interior staircase before the front door slammed shut on its own.


	17. Chapter 17

No matter how scalding the temperature of the shower, she couldn't get warm.

Elena could barely see through all of the steam in the bathroom, but there was a chill in her bones that she just couldn't shake. Add to that the nightmares she had of the blonde Original she had never laid eyes on - well, she wasn't much more rested than before her nap.

It was mid-afternoon when she finally rose from the bed. She'd been surprised that no one came upstairs to check on her, particularly because she was sure she had cried out several times in her sleep. The dreams were too real; her subconscious served up wrists sliced by knives, Klaus's fangs on her throat and his hands groping over her body as he drained her life away. The most bizarre aspect was that despite the fear in her mind, she couldn't deny the heated ache simmering in her core at his touch. It repulsed her to think she had any attraction toward such a monster. She hoped it was something ingrained in her DNA as the duplicate of his mate and not some twisted unconscious desire on her part. And she hoped her body wouldn't betray her when they finally encountered him in the flesh. Some innate drive seemed to overpower her mind's free will when in the presence of the Originals, and she knew Klaus would not be as chivalrous as Elijah.

There was a light knock at the door as she stepped out of the shower. Damon stood waiting for her in the bedroom, a welcome distraction from her thoughts. Elena approached him slowly, noticing the glint in his eyes at the fact that she wore nothing but one of his large fluffy towels. She smiled slightly, tugging her lower lip between her teeth. Her arm wrapped around his neck and she drew his mouth down upon hers. He groaned when she let the towel fall and pressed her body flush to his.

"Can we catch up now?" she whispered, letting out an amused giggle at the way his eyes rolled back when she pulled his hands to her bare breasts.

"Godddd, Elena, you are killing me," he moaned. "But we can't right now. I have bad news. _Very_ bad."

Damon handed her the towel back and she wrapped it tight before she sat on the side of the bed. She sobered quickly from her playfulness after he verbally doused her in ice water. Elena knew he had been to her house while she slept, and that threw her mind into overdrive.

"What's going on? Is it Jenna? Jeremy? Are they okay?"

He settled beside her, enveloping her hands in his. "Jeremy left town with Anna and Pearl."

"Oh no," she mumbled. "You don't think...?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure they're keeping him safe." He paused and when he noticed her watching him expectantly, he let out a worried sigh. "Jenna, on the other hand..."

Her stomach plunged. "What?"

Damon sighed again, his mouth tightening. "Klaus is compelling her, Elena. He's staying at your house. Bonnie and I couldn't get to her, and he threatened to kill her if we don't all cooperate with the sacrifice. Tomorrow, he said - the solar eclipse."

"No...oh, God, Damon." She shook her head as her face crumpled. "Is he hurting her now?"

He grimaced, trying to decide if it would be better to be honest or to sugarcoat, finally going with the former. "He has fed from her, because I could see the marks. But she seemed like her usual self otherwise - though it's hard to say because of the compulsion."

Elena was quiet for a few moments, but he could see her mind was reeling from his revelation. "I should've made Elijah take me home first, before we came back here. We could have gotten her-"

"And then what? You would have met Klaus at the door for a total bloodbath? You might both be dead if he and Elijah had their showdown then."

Damon shook his head at her guilty look, if only because it mirrored how he felt inside. He had been so stupid, so ignorant, and now Jenna's life was at risk.

"I left her just as defenseless, Elena," he continued with a frown. "I took off with you, knowing that Katherine would be coming back. I didn't even consider anyone might retaliate by going after Jenna. I thought she would be fine. So if anyone is to blame, it's me."

Elena swallowed against the tears stinging at her eyes and his defeated sigh tore at her heart. She rested her hand on his arm, and when those doleful blue eyes met hers, she couldn't stay silent. "You can't blame yourself, Damon - what did you do wrong? We never anticipated anything like what we're up against. If you had, I know you wouldn't have left her there. I just - it's too late now, but I can't help thinking that maybe I should have told her instead of hiding it all? My attempt to protect her ultimately left her vulnerable."

A sob escaped her chest and Damon pulled Elena against him, running his hand over her hair. And once the tears began to fall, she finally gave in to the breakdown. It had been so much, not only the history Damon and Elijah presented her with these last few days, but _everything_ since Stefan rolled into town and enmeshed himself into her life. And she had tried and tried to hold it all together, telling herself that crying over it all wouldn't help.

But instead of keeping her strong, holding it in had made her fragile. Her psyche was barely stitched together by threads at the moment, and she knew she needed this release so she could move forward. Otherwise, she would be better off offering herself up to Klaus willingly - in her present state, there would be no defeating him tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, Elena," he whispered into her hair. "All this mess, just from trying to keep you safe... but she will be okay. I promise you that."

She nodded against his chest, her eyes closed tightly as she listened to the dull thud of his heart within his chest. It was soothing and constant, enough to lull her into a sound sleep. But she fought against its pull - it wouldn't save anyone to cocoon inside Damon's bed until noon tomorrow.

"We should go downstairs," she said reluctantly as she finally tore herself away from him.

Damon nodded. "They're ready to go over the plans. I'll leave you to get dressed, or else we might not make it down there."

His eyes twinkled and Elena smiled softly in return. She wanted it too, just as badly, but not in the frenzied manner they'd come together in his cottage. She wanted it slow and deliberate, in a manner where his every touch would remain branded upon her skin. Because if for some reason their plans failed, she didn't want to regret wasting their last night together.

"Later," she promised. "Later, I am all yours."

He rewarded her with his true smile, the one she remembered from their dance together that nearly left her dizzy. Her heart fluttered at drawing it out again. And she may have imagined it, but there appeared to be a bit more color in his cheeks with the anticipation of what the night would hold. She held her breath for a moment, as he seemed to be waiting to tell her more. But instead he backed out the door, though not before ghosting his lips over hers once more in their most chaste kiss yet.

"I will see you shortly," he said before closing the door.

* * *

"This is going to require a lot of magic, then. I mean, suspending the daylight curse on Elijah, Stefan and Damon long enough to get Klaus to take off his ring? And the illusion of me bleeding to death so I can pretend to rise as Tatia?"

Elena glanced up at Cassie and Bonnie from her place in the parlor about an hour later. They were all seated around a massive coffee table, Damon and Elena on one sofa, Stefan in an armchair, and then Bonnie and Cassie on the sofa opposite the first. Elijah was perched upon the arm next to his witch, and Cassie's family's grimoires were laid out so everyone could pore over the details of the spells.

Of course, Elena was impressed with the plan they presented - they were all great ideas. Klaus would be incapacitated by the sunlight long enough for Elijah to take him down. But the power it would involve scared her. She could see that Bonnie was anxious despite her confident exterior.

"Are you guys going to be alright?" she asked.

Bonnie gave her a stubborn half-smile. "If you will be safe, and we can take Klaus down, that's all that matters."

"But Grams died because of the tomb spell," Elena countered. "I can't let you get hurt because of me-"

"We have a secret weapon," Cassie interrupted quietly. She got up and rummaged through the luggage that was hidden behind the sofa. After she found what she wanted, she settled back onto the cushion and placed a velvet bag on the coffee table between them. Elijah focused on the object in fascination, as though he knew what was going to happen but still found it intriguing.

The velvet began to slide down slowly, as though it was being pulled off by an invisible pair of hands. The glittering beneath the fabric captured everyone's attention and once the velvet was fully removed, a life-sized crystal skull laid in front of them. Everyone was stunned silent and Elena felt a chill go down her spine.

"This is my family's amulet." Cassie ran her hand over its smooth surface, and the air immediately felt charged. "It's been passed down for generations, and when a Blake witch dies her power is stored here as a resource. Bonnie and I will be able to channel it to perform the spells, so that we won't have to expend much of our own power."

"It will keep you both safe," Elena commented.

"Yes, exactly," Cassie smiled. "It supplies the brunt of the power. We're merely the circuits it travels through."

Damon's eyebrows were drawn in doubt at the spectacle. "But how do you plan on keeping Klaus from seeing _that_? It's not exactly inconspicuous."

"Well, Elijah and Stefan are coming with us to the lake tonight," Bonnie said with a glance in the other Salvatore's direction. "We need the elements around us for the sacrifice, and we're going to bury it there."

"He won't know," Elijah added with a note of authority when he noticed Damon's remaining skepticism. "We are aware of its power now because it's exposed. But it's capable of shielding itself from evil sources. Cassandra and I have tested it."

"And once Bonnie and I start working, any power he feels will appear to be coming from us," Cassie added. "It's going to be fine, Elena."

"But what about Jenna?" she asked finally, the question that had been resonating in her mind before she even set foot downstairs.

"Her compulsion will be broken once Klaus dies. We can compel her at that point to forget," Elijah shrugged simply, as though there really wasn't any doubt that all would be fine.

"You don't think he'll hurt her?" Elena whispered, not trusting her voice to be steady as she thought of the fact that Klaus had fed from Jenna and God only knew what else.

Elijah's mask of assurance slipped a bit. She could see her grief over her aunt's situation bothered him as well, partially because if it bothered _her_ it bothered _him_. And also because she knew he did still feel remorse over his role in all of this. The curse of being the doppelgänger didn't solely affect her anymore; now it was hurting the people she loved, those who were entirely innocent and naive of the situation.

In the next blink of her eye, he was kneeling before her. She met his gaze, those infinite onyx orbs that held a fire for her bloodline, a fire that sent the too-familiar butterflies circulating through her torso.

"I _promise_. We will save her. She will not die." His jaw was set in firm determination.

She nodded slightly, forcing herself to look down away from that inherent connection between them. It wasn't amplified as it had been before, but it was still enough to make her feel self-conscious in front of the others, particularly Damon.

"Elena," Elijah said, running his hand over hers and she glanced up again. "Every single person in this room will do whatever it takes to ensure that this plan will not fail. As much as your bloodline has been a curse, you are a lucky woman to have so many who care so deeply. For that reason alone, Klaus doesn't stand a chance."

She couldn't resist the conviction in his eyes and gave him a small smile. She truly did feel reassured. She trusted him, plain and simple. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he answered back just as quietly, squeezing her hand. Then he stood, breaking their physical contact. "I do believe we should head out to the lake now. It will be dusk shortly."

The others stood as well, collecting their belongings. "Do you need help?" Elena asked amidst the activity, suddenly feeling useless despite the fact that Damon reclined next to her, his arm now resting along her back.

Elijah shook his head with an amused smirk. "No, my dear, I think you need to stay here... you have a lot to catch up on with Master Salvatore."

He clapped Damon on the shoulder before heading out of the room, and Elena knew her face featured at least three shades of red at the innuendo. Damon simply chuckled as the everyone departed, leaving them alone.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think he planned that," he said, leaning closer.

"He probably did," she managed to get out before their lips met.

And then the electricity of their connection shot through her as his mouth bruised against hers. His tongue traced over her lips and she moaned at the contact, the familiar ache already beginning at her center and traveling to every nerve ending in her body. He was nearly on top ofher, moving his mouth against hers, hands tracing below her top, and she fell back against the sofa pillows.

"Damon," she gasped as his teeth grazed her skin. "Not here…"

"Mmmm." He grinned, nipping at her collarbone and lifting himself away enough to meet her gaze. "Alright, _fine_. The bed would be more comfortable, and give us more room to maneuver…" He lightly ran his fingers along her bare side and smirked as she jerked away. She sat up to stand but he lifted her into his arms before her feet could touch the floor.

And then they were in his room, her lying in the middle of the mattress while he peeled off his shirt and pants before lunging over her. His fingers were nimble and made quick work of unbuttoning her top and unclasping her brassiere. She let out a contented sigh when his tongue began to trace languid circles over the sensitive skin of her nipple; first one, then the other. Her head rolled back against the mattress and she felt his fingers tracing along the vessels in her neck.

"Would you turn for me, love?" he asked in a low voice dripping with sex, and she had never imagined the request could sound so seductive.

"You know I would," she answered, meeting his piercing blue stare. "I already tried to once."

"I know. But I discussed it with the others… I think you should take my blood, just in case. If you're okay with the possibility."

She shivered under his gaze, his hands now running along the waistband of her jeans and slipping below after he unfastened them. His fingers dipped into her wetness and slid in slow deliberate circles over her nub until she thought she might go cross-eyed from the buildup. A low moan escaped her and she squeezed her eyes shut as he gradually brought her to the precipice.

"Would you be alright with that? Eternity with me?" he whispered. His fingers moved inside her channel and he found that spot deep inside. His lips were on her neck and she was biting her lip, trying to concentrate on his words.

"Yessss," she breathed, her fingernails drawing against the taut, sculptured skin of his back. "Yes, forever."

Damon's mouth found hers again and his fingers left her core. She shifted her bottom so he could get rid of her pants, all while his lips tortured hers. She was throbbing for contact, and she pulled at the waistband of his boxers. He chuckled as he pulled away, kneeling between her legs, every inch the angelic devil smirking down at her. He pulled the last of his clothing off and then Elena watched as his teeth punctured his wrist, blood running down the muscles of his forearm.

He leaned over her and she opened her mouth expectantly, catching the stray drops on her tongue. He bit at his lip at the sight, the lust building in his eyes. She pulled his wrist to hermouth. As she took her first draw of the coppery fluid, he thrust deep inside her and she let out a gasping cry.

"Jesus, you are so… fucking… beautiful," he ground out between each long thrust. She moaned against his skin and she felt his blood drip upon her breasts. Then his tongue was against her skin, lapping away all traces and amping up the ache she felt deep within her belly.

"Damon, please," she mewled, and he answered with a growl, his fingers tangling into her hair and angling her head to expose her neck.

"Ask for it," he demanded raggedly.

_"Please_... bite me. Drink my blood, I need you to..." Her words dissolved into incoherent ramblings as she felt his fangs sink into her skin. The act was enough to throw her over the edge and his thumb rubbed over her bundle of nerves in a frenzy as her walls clamped down around him.

"God, Elena," he breathed against her neck and she could tell he was right behind her. His mouth crashed down and his tongue swirled around hers, mingling the intoxicating taste of their blood. Small moans punctuated the air as they bucked against each other and rode out the last trails of bliss.

And then he was next to her, his arms tightly gripping her against him so she had no choice but to face him.

"I love you," he said in a voice that held residual passion and new traces of anxious intensity now that they were no longer distracted. His thumb ran along her cheek after he brushed her hair away from her eyes. "No matter what happens."

_No matter what happens to me._

He didn't say it, but still the implied words hung in the air like a dead weight, and she worried over it to the point that she couldn't tell if it was her intuition telling her she was going to lose him or just that she couldn't think about anything else. The waiting to find out was going to be hell, and while she didn't wish away what might be her final hours with him, she also just wanted to _know._

"I love you too," she whispered finally. "So much. No matter what happens."

He nodded, a certain calm over his form now. They laid together in silence until she heard his breathing settle into a slow, steady rhythm. When she looked out the windows, she could see the dusk settling over the sky and beyond the trees.

It was going to be a long night.


	18. Chapter 18

It was odd to be back in the passenger seat of Damon's car today, barely a week after that first terrifying journey. And it was odd to think that after such a short period of time, she didn't want to leave his side. While the hours of the night had dragged until Elena finally begged him to compel her to sleep, the morning slipped away. Now here she was, a silent passenger on the ride to the showdown with Klaus.

Bonnie and Stefan accompanied them in the backseat of the Camaro, with Elijah and Cassandra in the Jaguar in front of them. The familiar roads of Mystic Falls were painted in an ominous light as she considered Jenna and what she might be suffering at the hands of the Original vampire. A shaky sigh fell from her lips and she turned her gaze to the passenger window.

Damon's hand moved to rest upon her leg, but she couldn't look at him. She couldn't worry about what might happen if the plan went awry. It seemed bulletproof, but she was too jaded to assume this would go off without some hitch – and likely a fatal one at that.

The car slowed as they approached the small beach enveloped in the forest, along the edge of Mystic Lake. She caught a glimpse of a strawberry blond figure at the edge of the water and her heart froze in panic. The vehicle had barely come to a full stop before she was out the door, despite the others yelling at her to stop and come back.

And then there he was, in front of her. The blonde vampire from her nightmares, exactly as she had pictured him.

"Hello, Elena."

His voice was soft, British, the polar opposite to the terror and lust that brewed in those stormy blue eyes. His hand reached up to caress her cheek and despite the fear rising in her chest, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, a magnetic current pulsing through her.

"Klaus," she whispered.

"Yes, my darling," he murmured, the smile apparent in his tone. "Finally."

She opened her eyes again to study him. Elena was surprised at how gentle Klaus was with her, and the desperate yearning apparent in his features nearly broke her heart. How could one man possess such opposite sides?

"You are almost exactly like her, unlike Katerina," he said in awe. "Elijah?"

He spoke the other Original's name without even turning away from her, and she glanced past him to see the dark haired vampire approaching with a subtle smile. Damon and Stefan were both a few feet behind him, standing still. There was a white hot fury apparent in Damon's eyes when she realized he was staring at both her and Klaus. And she understood - that even though he was supposed to be playing along, being faced with the potential reality of losing her, at Klaus's hand… it was proving too much. And Elijah must have warned him to stay back, wary of Damon's potential to become the loose cannon, the one to compromise Elena's safety.

"It's good to see you," Elijah said.

"How did you find her?" Klaus's gaze was suspicious, but Elijah didn't falter.

"Through Katerina, of course. I knew she had tipped you off, but her motives were false. She had plans to bring you down, the potential power to annihilate any Original. So I followed her, because I knew she would unwittingly lead me straight to the doppelganger."

He paused as he approached with his hands behind his back, his eyes slowly trailing over Elena's form for effect.

"It is remarkable, isn't it?"

Klaus nodded absently, and Elena fought the urge to squirm as they both inspected her visually, as though she were a rare specimen beneath their microscopic eyes.

"It's almost a shame to go through with the sacrifice." He shrugged at Elijah's raised eyebrow. "Almost. As close of a genetic replica as she may be, she is still not _her_. I don't have the patience to wait for her to learn to love me. And she doesn't have the memories…"

Elena stiffened as his face took on a faint scowl. But it quickly passed and he gave her a cordial smile.

"You're willing to go through with this?" He appeared skeptical, and she knew he could hear her heart pounding. She replayed their plan in their head before she allowed herself to answer.

"I am." She glanced at Damon again, and then her eyes met Stefan's. "Elijah made it clear that Damon and Stefan would be in danger if I didn't."

"And you _boys_ let her go through with it? So weak. I would have done anything in my power to protect Tatia. But to just let her die…" Klaus shook his head and smirked at Damon's sneer before turning back to Elena. "Then I suppose Jenna is just added insurance, eh?"

The trance between them broke and she turned to the shore where her aunt sat facing them, a serene expression on her face and a large knife in her hands. She ran her finger over the blade and drew a thin bead of blood, but her peaceful smile never faltered.

"She will kill herself if you try anything." Klaus's voice was low next to her ear and Elena trembled as his breath brushed against her skin. "Right, Jenna?"

Her young aunt nodded from the sand, her hand never releasing the handle of the knife. "Please. Let your intentions be pure, Elena. Because if they're not..."

Something seemed to register in Jenna's eyes, and her face crumpled slightly. Elena's stomach lurched in response, at the thought that maybe Jenna had some recognition of what was happening to her. Somehow that was worse than ignorant compulsion, and her guilt of naively leaving her aunt to be tortured was renewed.

Jenna drew in a deep breath, her voice trembling. "If they're not, my blood is on your hands."

"Show her, Jenna," Klaus urged softly.

"No! No, stop-"

A cruel smile spread over Klaus's lips at the sound of Jenna's piercing shriek, despite Elena's desperate pleas otherwise. The blade carved deep into her aunt's thigh, through the skin, leaving a sliver of muscle visible beneath the blood pouring forth. Elena was shocked still at the sight, her mouth open in a silent scream. She heard the shouts of the others around her but there was a deafening buzz in her ears and her vision was fading out. She fought not to lose consciousness, even though staying awake meant the churning nausea in her stomach sped up.

Klaus's arm was wrapped beneath and around her waist, his other hand on the side of her face so as to force her to look at him. "Come on, sweetheart. We don't have time for this."

She squinted, whimpering as her limbs regained feeling, trying to push away from him. He loosened his grip but didn't let go of her completely. She drew in several deep breaths and turned to look in Jenna's direction. Both Stefan and Damon were at her aunt's side and tending to her leg. Elena's heart calmed briefly. Regardless of what happened to her, she knew she could trust them to look out for her family.

"That's better," Klaus remarked with a lopsided smirk when she faced him again, though there was an air of impatience to his tone. "Elijah. The witches."

Elijah nodded, appearing unfazed by the preceding events. After the snippets of emotion Elena saw in him lately, this left her unnerved. She had to remind herself that he was playing along, for her sake - so as not to leave them all vulnerable and murdered by the other Original.

"Ladies," Elijah beckoned, an arm extended to guide Cassie and Bonnie to the ground in front of them, both avoiding eye contact with Elena as they passed. She was relieved, because she knew that she couldn't hold it together if Bonnie broke down. It was better to continue to ignore each other, to focus on the moment and not think too much beyond it. She couldn't lose her composure more than she already had.

Cassie laid a bedroll cushion down onto the ground in front of them. Then she took the moonstone and placed it Klaus's hand.

"Hold it against her heart," she instructed him.

The cool stone settled against her chest, and Klaus's fingers took their opportunity to brush against the skin of her breast. His eyes caught hers, and a faint smile played on his lips at the brazen contact, a reminder that soon her body would be yielding to him. An uneasy fire smoldered in the pit of her stomach, a nauseous attraction she wanted to deny. But the sensation of the stone heating up and burning against her flesh distracted her.

She saw that Cassie had started drawing symbols in the sand, and Bonnie chanted while focusing on each of the characters, speaking in a language foreign to them all. Elena and Klaus stood side by side at the foot of the cushion inside the drawn circle. When Cassandra finished tracing the designs from memory, a fire sprung up and isolated the pair from the rest of the group.

"I have waited so long for this moment," Klaus purred seductively in her ear and Elena noticed a dimming in the sky as the eclipse began. His hand tightened around her waist, but she gazed across the barrier to Damon.

_I love you_, she mouthed. He only nodded, his eyes a little too bright, but he continued to stare at her. She had to look away when Klaus lowered her to lie beneath him on the cushion.

"Now," Cassandra said softly, her green eyes focused on Klaus.

His luminous gaze filled her vision as he brushed her hair away. Then Elena felt the pinch of his fangs in her neck. She closed her eyes, breathing through the moment, trying to fight the panic that wanted to rise through her body at having its life drawn out so quickly. The moonstone liquefied between their flesh, trickling down the side of her breast and onto the ground. The accompanying pungent odor of rust left her nauseous.

"Thank you, Elena," he whispered, and his dark blue eyes gleamed bright in anticipation. Guilt bubbled up inside her. They were all out to deceive him, when all he wanted was Tatia. A pair of tears escaped her eyes and she was thankful she wasn't capable of any other reaction in her weakened state. He gently thumbed them away before he lowered his mouth to her neck again, the dimness finally fading into complete black.

* * *

It was a strange dimension to be suspended in, purgatory's darkness between life and death. There was no white light, no consciousness – only fleeting thoughts and memories like those experienced behind closed eyes punctuated by nothingness. And time had no meaning here - it was the eternal fraction of a second, a paradox. Anxiety filled her – had the wrong spell been cast? Maybe Yeva had indeed returned. Nervousness gave way to panic, and that was when she felt herself sucked through the vortex. It was blinding and excruciating –_was she dying? _She swirled and drowned, her entire being screaming out for air.

Just when it felt as though she might burst, there was a loud snap, her soul locking back into place, her body's ignition turning from neutral into drive. Elena's eyes shot open and she sat up with a gasp, squinting in the bright sunlight. Klaus crouched before her and the momentary disorientation quickly faded. He was completely still, completely focused upon her. She looked up to the sky and covered her eyes from the blinding rays – the eclipse had passed. And she was still here, not Tatia. She wasn't dead, nor was she a vampire. But now that meant she had to play the part of her ancestress, until the Original could be tricked into burning in the sunlight.

"Klaus?" she began shakily. She didn't have to turn to know that Damon and Elijah were both watching her intently. Their eyes burned like lasers into her skin.

She reached her hand up to graze the blonde vampire's face and his chest heaved, breaking his statue-like stance. She didn't have a chance to say anything more before he crushed her into his arms.

"Tatiana," he whispered against her hair, repeating her name like a prayer. His voice was hoarse with emotion and her heart bounded against her chest. "It's been so, so long without you. I'm so sorry I failed you."

"I know," she whispered back, startled at the way the words fell naturally from her lips. "I know, my love – it's alright."

And then his mouth was on hers, centuries' worth of raw emotion rendering her breathless. She knew she should have expected it, yet he still caught her off-guard. But she knew she couldn't pull away lest he become suspicious. Instead, she curled her fingers into the collar of his half-open shirt, pulling him to her. Her skin felt as though it was on fire, knowing her current lover was watching her allow their enemy to kiss her like this.

_Damon has to understand, _she thought. But it didn't help to calm her racing heart, and when Klaus pulled away, he appeared perplexed.

"What is the matter, Niklaus?" she asked quietly.

"You're… human." His brow furrowed. "But how can that be? I thought the spell was meant to return you in your immortal, undead state."

"I…." Her mouth went dry. "I don't know. But yes, I've returned in human form."

He turned away from her in silence and she rested her hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright," she repeated. "It will be fine-"

"Will it?" he growled, and when he turned back she saw the veins around his eyes and his fangs elongating. "Are you willing to turn for me again? "

Her mouth opened but no sound came out.

"Klaus," Elijah said from behind her, and the blonde vampire looked over her shoulder as the other Original came to stand beside her. She welcomed the interruption. She hadn't dared look to the others yet, knowing if she truly was Tatia she would only be focused upon Klaus. But they had to be alarmed at the turn this reunion had taken.

"How could this have happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Elijah answered. "Some amendment to the curse over time that we never knew about? We've crossed many who would want revenge, Niklaus. You know that."

"I know that you loved Tatia," Klaus countered, the fury rising in his eyes. "I know of the indiscretions between you both. Do you think I was blind?"

It was Elijah's turn to be speechless, but it was no matter because Klaus had launched into a tirade, gripping Elena's forearm and pulling her close to his side.

"I planned on confronting you both that night, until she died – after that bastard shaman took her from me. I knew you were the only one who would help me bring her back. So I waited, because I needed you to find the doppelganger. You were the only one who loved her enough to help me, and now you've tricked me, to get rid of me before you break the curse. To keep Tatia for yourself." He was in Elijah's face now, but to his credit the dark haired Original did not flinch. "I _know_ that the spell was not amended. I _know_ she was meant to be a vampire. This cannot be Tatia, no matter how sweetly she talks."

Elena gasped as Klaus yanked her close against him, his fangs flashing menacingly.

"Tell me the truth, little girl. Are you Tatia, or are you Elena?"

His eyes dilated and constricted, but by an act of God or magic, she remained immune to the compulsion.

"I am your wife, Tatiana. The mother of your only child, Nadia." Elena's voice stayed even despite not understanding how she possessed any of this information. And then it clicked – the reactive moonstone had melted against her. Somehow the witches must have channeled part of Tatia's knowledge and essence into her while she was unconscious. She swallowed hard, saying a silent prayer of thanks because it was the only thing saving her life right now.

His nostrils flared and he threw her arms down. "You are lying."

"No, she's not." Elijah dropped his lapis ring on the ground. "See? The curse is broken." He gestured back to the Salvatores, who both removed their rings and tossed them onto the sand, neither leaving Jenna's side now that the other Original was agitated.

Klaus surveyed the others before his eyes returned to Elena. "If you are who you say, you will turn for me. Now."

"Now?" Her mouth twisted.

"I know you never wanted it. But if you truly are Tatia, you will do it because you love me. Because you are meant to be by my side for eternity."

"Take off your ring, Klaus," Elijah insisted. "It will be all the proof you need."  
Their eyes locked and Elena held her breath as she watched Klaus's long fingers tug at his gold band. It came loose and fell upon the ground. They all waited to exhale, waited for the sun to ignite the flames that would kill him.

But he still stood before them, unblemished, unburned, intact.

And then he bit into his wrist and shoved it to Elena's mouth. She fought against his arm, but he was too strong.

"The ring proves nothing, Elijah – we've been around a long, long, _long_ time. Immunity to the sun is nothing new. I could have cared less about that – it came back not long after Katerina escaped me. But you wouldn't know, because I doubt you ever suffered so much that you welcomed the burn of the light." He pulled Elena tighter against him, his free hand holding her jaw taut. "Either way, I will know soon enough. Call this payback, revenge, whatever you want. But if she isn't Tatia, she will pay for the lies for eternity, after I tear your heart out and Jenna kills herself."

"Klaus," she managed to gasp around his wrist. "Please, no! I will turn. I just wanted to experience the human life I missed before turning to the bloodlust. I never meant to upset you."

His face softened almost imperceptibly, but she knew she was talking him down. His grip loosened slightly and as she wiped the remnants of his blood from her mouth, she caught a glimpse of Damon approaching out of the corner of her eye.

_Not now, please,_ Elena thought. She was so close to making Klaus believe, and she couldn't run the risk of Damon blowing her cover. They needed him to believe if they were ever to figure out another way of defeating him.  
Klaus's eyes remained on her so she couldn't try to ward Damon off. She began to count down the seconds until all hell broke loose. But just when she thought it was all for naught, he stopped. There appeared to be an impenetrable barrier that surrounded Elena and the two Originals. The others couldn't pass it. She breathed a sigh of relief and took Klaus's hands in hers.

"Please, just spare the others. I promise I will turn now, if that will make you happy. All that matters is that I'm by your side."

"Alright."

His voice was low, his eyes sullen as he stole a glance at her through downcast lashes and a warm shiver passed through her. Right now she could see glimpses of the young man he appeared to be, not the millennia-old murderer he truly was, and now she understood what Elijah had meant, how the relationship and push-pull between Tatia and Klaus worked. How she could still stay with him despite his ruthless nature.

"Alright?" she asked again and he nodded.

"Just promise - promise you will not leave me. I can forgive everything with Elijah, I will even allow you to be human for a time – but you cannot leave me, Tatia. If that day ever comes, it will be the end of both of us." His voice broke at the end, and she again laid her hands against his face.

"I know," she whispered before leaning up to gently press her lips to his.

And then he fell to the ground, a scream erupting from his chest, his eyes pinched shut in agony. Elijah had Elena around the waist to keep her from falling with him and he pushed her out of the barrier. She stumbled, and Damon caught her.

"Oh, thank God," she whispered, a shaky sob following her words.

"Shhhh." His arms tightened around her. "It's over."

She looked back anxiously, and what she couldn't hear within the bubble was echoing in her ears now – Cassandra and Bonnie chanting loudly with joined hands and faces to the sky. When their hands raised to the sun, a bright light flashed from the center of the circle of symbols. The crystal skull now sat on the ground next to the bedroll, risen from its temporary grave. As it glowed, Elena could make out the moonstone permanently encapsulated within it.  
Klaus's eyes were open now and focused upon the skull as well, fear plainly visible as his body contorted with another wave of excruciating pain. Elijah crouched before him, making the sign of the cross with a dagger upon himself. She watched him plunge the blade into Klaus's heart. Klaus's eyes met hers with a final groan, and she could read his accusation of betrayal as clearly as if he were saying it.

_I'm sorry, _she mouthed, and the tears started rolling down her cheeks as his form disintegrate into dust.

His heart dissolved into a bloodstream that fed into the skull. Once inside, it crystallized around the moonstone, forever joined with Tatia. The dagger fell to the ground, and both Cassie and Bonnie collapsed in exhaustion. Elena's head dropped to Damon's shoulder as the sobs began to escape her. She felt Elijah's hand upon her back.

"It's over," he said.

* * *

Except it wasn't.

After they finally left the lake and returned to the boardinghouse, they had to settle Jenna and fill in the blanks. Stefan and Damon had both agreed on compelling her, but Elijah said that additional vampire compulsion after being compelled by an Original could lead to a permanent mental collapse. Needless to say, they opted to tell her the whole truth, which left Jenna oscillating between catatonic shock and histrionics.

When it was apparent that her aunt couldn't settle with her brain reeling, Elena slipped a sleeping pill into her soup so she could rest. And so Elena could rest, too. Once she was sure Jenna was tucked in for the night, she was able to retreat to the parlor.

Elena collapsed in an armchair with a huff and Damon glanced at her over his shoulder from the bar.

"Is she asleep?"

"Finally," she sighed. "Thankfully. I thought we were going to have to give her enough sedatives to take down a small elephant."

Damon smirked as he handed her a glass of wine. He leaned in and his lips met hers in a deep kiss.

"So we don't have to worry about waking her up," he grinned when he started to pull away. She drew him back down to her and the glasses ended up on the side table. He lifted her out of the chair so he could take her seat and settle her onto his lap. His fingers had just edged under the hem of her top when a throat cleared behind them. Damon groaned and Elena raised her head.

"Elijah," she said, flustered as she climbed out of the chair. "I thought you were staying in a hotel with Cassie tonight."

"I am," he answered as he sat on the sofa with a glass of bourbon, his finger tracing over the rim. "But she's at Bonnie's right now, helping her go through her grandmother's grimoires."

Elijah gave a wry smile as he surveyed her disheveled state but refrained from commenting, instead continuing on the previous subject.

"She'll be a good mentor to your friend. Bonnie's very powerful, she just needs some guidance in honing her craft."

"Wonderful," Damon muttered and Elena glanced at him pointedly before turning back to the Original.

"So… you just stopped by until you go to pick her up?" she asked.

"That, and…" He set the glass on the coffee table after finishing its contents in one swig. "You have a choice to make, Elena."

"What do you mean?" She sat up straighter. "What kind of choice?"

"A choice of who kills Katerina." He leaned back against the pillows and they stared at each other for a few moments before he continued. "She has to die, Elena. If she continues to exist, there always will be the chance that she tries to kill you."

She nodded somberly. It wasn't that she thought Katherine would be able to hide away in Mrs. Gibbons' house forever, or that she might leave Elena alone now that Klaus was no longer a threat. She had anticipated this. But she figured it would be something Elijah would take care of on his way out of town, so she wouldn't have to bear witness to it.

"When I found out about Emily's spell, I had Cassandra attach a provision," he added. " If she dies at your hand, it will return all the vampires she's sired to their human state."

_"What?"_ Damon exclaimed and Elena's mouth hung open.

"Damon and Stefan would be human," she clarified. "But I have to stake her."

"Yes, that's the basic gist of it. Beyond the Salvatores, not many of her children remain. Most of them died at the hand of Klaus, and I took care of the remaining few with the rest of the tomb vampires." A faint smile played on his lips now. "Considering she wanted your head, I figured it wouldn't be too hard for you to channel your anger into killing her. But I understand if you need time. "

"I – yes. Yes, I do need time." Elena knew Stefan would have turned human in a second. But Damon… she wasn't so sure. She stole another glance at him, but she couldn't even begin to read his expression. And she couldn't be selfish and just do it because she wanted a normal life with him. They needed to discuss it, to weigh the options. "That would be kind of you. When do you need to know my decision?"

"Tomorrow morning would be ideal – Cassandra has to return home within the next day or two. Is that sufficient?"

"Yes."

"Alright." He stood, smiling. "It's going to be another long night, so I should probably leave you to it. I'll be back in the morning."

"Alright," she answered, and she was surprised when Elijah leaned down to give her a hug.

"Good luck, Elena," he whispered in her ear. "Damon may surprise you."

And then he was gone, leaving Elena to deal with the brooding vampire next to her.

"So," she said finally, sitting down across from him.

Elena squirmed a bit when his intense blue orbs finally focused on her. Her stomach was in her throat, choking her. She was so nervous of what his answer would be, now that she was on the cusp of what she truly wanted. Almost as if once she asked the question, her dream would be shattered. But she needed to know.

"What should I do?"


	19. Chapter 19

"You promise you'll take care of him until I get back?"

Bonnie nodded and Elena just stared at where Stefan laid on the ground. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. She didn't know why she felt the urge to cry at the sight. Maybe because it was bittersweet. Bonnie had told her of Stefan's insinuation that he may end his life after they took down Klaus and Elena was horrified. That was what initiated the heart to heart, so she could be sure he knew that she didn't hate him, that she forgave him, that he would always be her first real love despite the circumstances that brought them together. They cried with each other for all that had passed between them, holding onto each other for the last time. And then, she retreated upstairs to his brother – the true love of her life.

Now Damon waited for her in the Camaro. Elena gave Bonnie a tight hug before turning away from the doorway. She nearly bumped into Elijah as she headed down the porch stairs. He caught her under the elbow to keep her from stumbling, and her hands landed on his chest as she steadied herself.

"Easy there," he murmured and their eyes locked. She was convinced now that he had downplayed their innate connection because every time she fell into his arms she was left a bit flustered. And he always seemed fascinated by her. It was more than just the likeness – there were true remnants of Tatia within her, emphasized moreso since the sacrifice.

"Thank you," she answered in just as hushed of a tone. "I'm just a little jittery after everything that's gone down."

"You handled it perfectly." And he did look impressed as he smiled at her, which in turn made her a bit giddy. "I'm glad you took the opportunity."

"So am I." Elena wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, her voice muffled into his shoulder. "Thank you, again. I don't think anything I could ever say or do would express how much I appreciate this."

"It's no trouble," he insisted. He pulled away from her slightly, his eyes more serious. "It wasn't the life you were meant for."

"I know," she said, shifting uneasily. "But I would have lived it if I had to, so I could be with him."

"Eternity is a long time to live with regrets, Elena." There was a distant nostalgic edge to his expression. "Tatia would have told you the same. She wanted this for you."  
Her brow furrowed. "How… how do you know that?"

"Cassandra channeled her not long after I found out about you. She asked us to give you the choice."

Her eyes were on the ground as she fought back tears, that her great-whatever grandmother was trying to help her and take care of her from the great beyond. Elijah's hands ran over her upper arms and she looked back up to him.

"We all care about you and want the best for you. Tatia felt responsible for the burden placed upon the bloodline because she wasn't honest with Klaus about her intentions. And while things ultimately worked out as they should have - you and Damon in this time together - she didn't want it to continue. She wanted the curse broken."

Elena cocked her head to the side, perplexed. "But it's sealed in the moonstone. It's not broken."

"The curse of the sun and the moon remains, yes. But the Petrova doppelganger amendment was removed once you killed Katherine. It's basically been wiped from the collective memory now that Klaus is gone. "

"Oh," she said quietly. "It'll just be an accepted fact amongst vampires and werewolves - a curse with no resolution."

He nodded with a melancholy smile. "And you'll finally be safe, as well as your children and grandchildren and beyond. Though I will be around," he added and she smiled despite the mood.

"And for that, I'm glad," she replied. "I hope you won't be a stranger."

"No, I don't think I could manage that, Elena. You are a remarkable person, and though we haven't been friends for long…"

"It feels like I've known you forever," she finished. "I know."

She squeezed his hand before pulling him into another hug and this time she couldn't hold back the tears that came to her eyes. But they weren't out of despair. It was relief and the overwhelming emotion of finally coming home, a lost ship at sea finding its way. And the realization there was so much more at play than she'd ever imagined or had faith in to bring her to this place of peace.

"Thank you, Elijah," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. When she pulled away again she could see his eyes glistened a bit and she giggled despite herself.

"We're being overly sappy, you know."

"And how exactly is that, Ms. Gilbert?" he asked after clearing his throat and straightening his posture.

"It's not like I'm not going to see both you and Cassie in a few days. Unless you're backing out on me now."

"No, we will be there. After Damon's had a little time to adjust."  
She nodded. "I should probably go now. Before he wakes up alone in the car and freaks out thinking Katherine managed to pull me into the ether with her. But I'll see you soon."

"Have a safe trip, Elena."

"I will," she replied.

With that, she continued away from Mrs. Gibbons' house and left the Original at the doorway to deal with the dead body of her doppelganger. Dead at her hand. She bit her lip, a thousand emotions racing through her at the thought of Katherine and their parallel lives. There were many of regret and anger, but of course curiosity as well of what would have happened if Katherine hadn't became what she was. Elena wouldn't have ended up here - Damon and Stefan would have died as old men over fifty years before she was born, and she would never have met them. It was one of those quandaries that she had to accept without thinking too much about it, because it was simply a matter of fate. She and Damon were meant to be together, and there was no other way it could have happened, the good and the bad. And while she had wrestled with the thought of taking another's life over the last twenty-four hours – even the life of a psychopathic vampire who had lived several lifetimes over – she knew she had to do it. It was the only way to completely free Damon and Stefan both of the torment and hold Katherine had over them for all these years.

But as true as it was, she didn't totally grasp Katherine's impact until she ended up in Damon's room last night. That was when he fully bared his soul to her – the remorse he felt over becoming a vampire and his actions ever since, his dreams for his life before he'd met Katherine, all these things he'd never spoken to another person since turning because he never thought they would be opportunities he would have. He hadn't dared to remotely address it within himself for fear of going mad with regret.

And Elena was been shocked to discover that the vampire she had initially thought to be an emotionally stunted psychopath possibly missed humanity more than his guilt-ridden younger brother. Damon was beside himself to have a second chance. But he was adamant that he didn't want to influence her decision, nor place the burden of taking another's life upon her.

Still, she knew that was exactly what she was meant to do. So they traveled that morning to the house at the edge of the woods, and Cassandra and Bonnie both ensured that she would be safe from any supernatural forces when she went on her mission...

oOo

_"So you're here for me." Katherine stood before her as soon as she closed the door. "It's funny, I always figured Elijah would be the one to finish the job, after all the trouble I caused for him with Klaus."_

_Elena was surprised to see that she actually appeared remorseful. "If you hadn't ever posed a threat to me, you could have lived."_

_"I've lived long enough. Five hundred years on the run, Elena – you can't even imagine. I'm so tired. I think I've earned my rest. Whether there's an afterlife or not, at least I won't be running anymore."_

_"But Klaus is gone."_

_"True, but he's not the only thing I ran from. My own demons eat away at me every day. I wasn't that different than you, you know, when they found me. A young scared girl who wanted to see the best in everyone. And when they took me in, I felt like I had found a place where I belonged, until I discovered what they wanted from me. What I've done to survive ever since… the regret… it's something that won't ever leave me. You see what I've done to both Stefan and Damon. As much as I crave it, I'm too poisoned inside to ever be loved or purely love back. And without it, there's not much point to living. I've spent centuries so alone - longing for companionship yet knowing it was something that would forever elude me. I would never wish that feeling on anyone."_

_She sat down in the armchair across from Elena, her arms falling to either side._

_"Elijah told me why you're doing this. And… I'm glad. They deserve a chance at what I stole from them. You deserve a chance at what I could never have, what I could never give them, as much as I longed to. Go ahead and stake me. All I ask is that you tell them both how sorry I am. How I never meant to hurt them."_

_"I will," Elena assured her. "Thank you." Katherine had tears rolling down her face too, and she nodded, satisfied that Elena would keep her word.  
And now it was time – there was nothing left to say between them. As nervous and torn as she'd been the whole day before, Elena was relieved to find she only felt peace when she plunged the stake into her twin's chest and watched Katherine wither before her._

_She closed the corpse's eyes, but she sat with Katherine's body and said a prayer, a silent eulogy. After a lifetime alone, she knew it was the least she could do for her. Then she stood, her hands moving in the signs of the cross as she looked upon her one last time._

_"Rest in peace, Katerina," she whispered before she slipped back outside._

oOo

Elena glanced at the dark haired man next to her as she drove down the highway, humming along to the music on the radio as they crossed state lines. If Cassie hadn't warned her, she would have been worried that nearly four hours had passed since she had taken Katherine's life and in turn changed both Stefan and Damon back. But he wasn't dead – she could see the rosy color on his cheeks, a bit brighter now than when he was a vampire. And she knew his body had to adjust back. He just looked like he was sleeping. She smirked. Her sleeping _human_ boyfriend – a real, live sleeping beauty. She was going to tease him mercilessly once he woke up. Well, after she reminded him how wonderful it was to be human now.

It wasn't until they were on the sandy access road to the cottage that he let out a yawn next to her, startling her after nearly ten hours of silence.

"Well, hello," she smiled as his blue eyes opened and he stretched. "So nice of you to finally wake up."

"It's all over?" he asked, glancing around.

"Yeah, it's over. She's gone." She slowed down so she could look at him more closely. "How do you feel?"

"Fine." He smirked. "Hungry."

She giggled and loved the sound of his laughter joining hers. "You are _such_ a guy," she teased. "Finally human and the first thing you think about is food."

"Oh, it's not the _first_ thing I thought about," he countered. "But considering you're driving, and we're in my precious baby no less…"

His voice trailed off as he looked out the windows more closely.

"We're going to the cottage," he said, and for a second she wasn't sure whether he was going to smile or cry.

"I just thought… it's so calm here, and this is where we began. It's where I wanted our new beginning to be."

He stared at her for a moment, and she could see him wrestling with everything he wanted to tell her. "Thank you," was all he managed to get out.  
But while he couldn't offer any other words, Damon's expression said it all. Her chest tightened at the overwhelming love and gratitude there and they sat in an emotional silence as she continued a bit further down the road.

When the ocean spread out before them and the grey weathered shingled house appeared to the left, Elena shifted the car into park and handed him the keys. She got out and walked to the edge of the cliff, the salty breeze kissing her skin. She closed her eyes to listen to the crashing waves and let it all cleanse her soul.

"I love you," Damon said quietly as he came to stand beside her. "And I can never thank you enough for everything you've done, though I'm ready to spend the rest of our lives trying. You saved me, Elena."

She took his hand, weaving their fingers together and leaning against him while the sunset began to bloom before them. When she looked up at him, she could see forever reflected in his eyes.  
"No," she finally answered. "We saved each other."


End file.
